The Mozambicans beat Nigeria by 52 points to 44. This follows the Mozambican victories over Zimbabwe (73-37) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (67-53).
In the other Group A matches played on Monday, Kenya beat Zimbabwe (65-35) and Algeria beat DR Congo (55-49).
The Mozambican team faces Algeria on Tuesday and Kenya on Wednesday. Judging by their performance so far, the Mozambicans are likely to retain the leadership of Group A, and are thus guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.
But in Group B, the Angolan team is performing as well as the Mozambicans, and has also scored three consecutive victories. On Monday Angola beat Rwanda by 58 points to 24. This result means that Angola too will certainly reach the semi-finals.
Also in Group B, Ivory Coast beat Cameroon (49-42), and Senegal inflicted a heavy defeat on Mali (81-43).
Mozambique also found success in the boxing ring, with victories for three Mozambican boxers. Cremildo Artur, in the 52 kilo category, beat Sangue Mauni (Cameroon), and Billel M’Hamdi (Tunisia). Watch Antonio, in the 56 kilo category, beat Fakoum (also of Cameroon), and Juliano Maquina, in the 49 kilo category, beat Pilane Lembogang (South Africa).
A fourth Mozambican boxer, Ikbal Gabriel, in the 60 kilo category, lost to the Congolese, Nzaou Henri.
In he new Olympic swimming pool, in the outlying suburb of Zimpeto, Mozambique’s women swimmers did not find much success. Only Jessica Cossa, in the 50 metre backstroke, and Jessica Vieira, in the 100 metres freestyle, survived the elimination rounds and reached the finals. Cossa came fifth in her final, and Vieira came sixth.
The Mozambicans had their best performance in the four by 200 metres freestyle relay, in which Cossa and Vieira were joined by Gessica Stagno and Mirian Corsine, and came fourth.
South African swimmers took 11 medals – five gold, three silver and three bronze. The best performance came from Karin Prinslooo, who took gold in the 100 metres freestyle and the 50 metres backstroke, and was part of the victorious 4 by 200 metres freestyle relay team.
Prinsloo led the 100 metres freestyle race from start to finish, with a time of 56.05 seconds, not far short of the African record of 55.17 seconds (set by another South African swimmer, Lize-Marie Retief).
In the 50 metres backstroke, Prinsloo’s time was 29.28 seconds. Fellow South African Mandy Loots took the silver with a time of 26.76 seconds.
But in the 400 metre individual medley, it was the Zimbabwean swimming star, Kirsty Coventry, who coasted to victory and the gold medal in a time of 4 minutes and 44.34 seconds. South African swimmers Cathryn Meaklim and Bianca Meyer took the silver and bronze (with times of 4:46.33 and 4:51.20).
In the men’s 100 metre breaststroke, the world record holder, South African Cameron van der Burgh, after initially lagging behind Tunisian Wassim Elloumi, sprinted past him, to win with a time of 1:02.44. Elloumi came second with 1:03.17.
Tunisia took its revenge in the 200 metre men’s freesyle, won by Ahmed Matlouthi in 1:48.95. South African Darian Townsend, who had led for most of the race, fell behind at the end, coming second with a time of 1:49.04. Fellow South African Jean Basson (who is the African record holder) took the bronze in 1:51.06.
Another gold for South Africa was won by Charl Crous, in the men’s 50 metre backstroke. With a time of 26.06 seconds he narrowly beat Jason Dunform of Kenya (26.19 seconds). South African Garth Tune came third with 26.74.
The South African medal haul was completed with the victory of the women’s relay team, consisting of Prinsloo, Roxy Tammadge, Rene Warnes, Dominique Dryding.
In the men’s table tennis, Mozambique went down to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Tunisia. Mozambique also lost to Zimbabwe in netball (the first time a Mozambican team has competed in an international netball championship), and to Seychelles in Badminton.
On the football field, the South African women’s side thrashed Zimbabwe 4-1. Khadi Mokoma scored three of the South African goals, while the fourth came from Mokhaba Sesepo. The Ghanaian women won their match against Tanzania by 2-1, while in the men’s football, the match between Cameroon and Uganda was a goalless draw.
Post published in: Sport