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- Jul 29, 2006
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The unbeaten African Queens were favourites to lift the trophy in the final and they never looked like losing despite some heroic netball from the Malaysians.
Aminah Asaari's Malaysian team had previously lost to Tanzania by 25-points in the round-robin phase but they put on a much better fight against the Africans in Saturday's (Dec 08, 2012) showpiece.
The game tipped off in competitive fashion as both teams defended aggressively and it was Malaysia who jumped out to a very early 2-0 lead on the back of some excellent defensive stops by goalkeeper Siti Nor Farhana Mustafa on Tanzania sharpshooter Mwanaidi Hassan.
The 193cm tall Hassan has been one of the stars of the tournament and so it did not take her long to adjust to Malaysia's defensive setup. She finished the first quarter with eight points to help Tanzania build a narrow 11-8 lead.
Malaysia were clearly buoyed by their first quarter display - having been blown away by the Africans the last time they met - and they promptly scored four out of the first five buckets on offer to start the second. A combination of goals from shooter Norashikin Kamal Zaman and attacker Izyan Syazana Mohd Wazir levelled the match at 12-12.
It was at this point, though, where Hassan decided to take over the final for Tanzania. Capitalising on some sloppy passing by Malaysia, the African goal shooter scored four buckets in a row. Hassan was now playing at an elite level, bossing her defender with her height and superior footwork. She was demanding the ball and her team-mates kept feeding it to her - and she kept scoring.
Hassan lit up Malaysia for 15 points in the second quarter alone as Tanzania pushed ahead 27-15 at the break.
To Malaysia's credit, they refused to give up the Nations Cup title without a fight and they tried to mount a comeback in the third by pressing even harder on defence. Initially, the plan seemed to work, with Hassan hitting the deck at one point after losing her footing. However, it would be the one and only time the Tanzania international would slip up.
She continued to punish the opposition at will and had Malaysia's Norashikin not managed to sink three shots at the end of the third - including a buzzer beater - the contest as a spectacle would have been over. Instead, the two teams came out for the final period with Tanzania leading by 10 points at 36-26.
With the Nations Cup trophy almost in their sights, Tanzania began to squeeze the Malaysians in the fourth quarter with goalkeeper Doritha Mbunda and skipper Lillian Sylidion using their quick hands to force numerous turnovers.
Malaysia centre Nurul Adha Abu Bakar felt the full strain of the game's now higher intensity. She suffered an ankle knock but bravely opted to stay in the game even though it was beginning to get away from her and her team-mates.
Hassan again was having her own way scoring wise; her repeated switching of stances during plays kept Malaysia's defence guessing and she ended the final with 36 points from 37 attempts. Tanzania's excellent goal attack Irene Elias chipped in with nine points.
Malaysia's Norashikin scored a respectable 27 points but in the end could only watch as her side succumbed to a 45-38 final defeat.
Malaysian coach, Aminah Asaari, was delighted despite Saturday's loss. She said, "It was amazing. A very good fight; much better from my girls. There was a lot of improvement this week. We finished third last year and went one better this year so I am very happy."
Tanzanian captain Lilian Sylidion didn't seem to feel the pressure that the crowd were experiencing. She said, "It was an easier match [compared to earlier in the week]. We knew how they played and corrected our mistakes from the first time. I feel very happy and my country will be very proud as this is the first time we have won this competition."
Earlier, hosts Singapore finished the Nations Cup 2012 in fifth after defeating the Republic of Ireland 45-31 at Toa Payoh Sports Hall.
In the day's other game, Namibia came out on top of Sri Lanka 76-70 to finish the tournament above their opponents in third.
Final Standings
1st: Tanzania
2nd: Malaysia
3rd: Namibia
4th: Sri Lanka
5th: Singapore
6th: Republic of Ireland
Most Valuable Player Awards:
Tanzania: Irene Sylidion
Malaysia: Siti Nor Farhana Mustafa
Namibia: Bemhardine Makari
Sri Lanka: Gayathri Lankathilake
Singapore: Cassandra Soh
Republic of Ireland: Genevieve Slater
Results:
Singapore 45-31 Republic of Ireland (HT 26-13)
Sri Lanka 70-76 Namibia (HT 36-34)
Tanzania 45-38 Malaysia (HT 27-15)
Aminah Asaari's Malaysian team had previously lost to Tanzania by 25-points in the round-robin phase but they put on a much better fight against the Africans in Saturday's (Dec 08, 2012) showpiece.
The game tipped off in competitive fashion as both teams defended aggressively and it was Malaysia who jumped out to a very early 2-0 lead on the back of some excellent defensive stops by goalkeeper Siti Nor Farhana Mustafa on Tanzania sharpshooter Mwanaidi Hassan.
The 193cm tall Hassan has been one of the stars of the tournament and so it did not take her long to adjust to Malaysia's defensive setup. She finished the first quarter with eight points to help Tanzania build a narrow 11-8 lead.
Malaysia were clearly buoyed by their first quarter display - having been blown away by the Africans the last time they met - and they promptly scored four out of the first five buckets on offer to start the second. A combination of goals from shooter Norashikin Kamal Zaman and attacker Izyan Syazana Mohd Wazir levelled the match at 12-12.
It was at this point, though, where Hassan decided to take over the final for Tanzania. Capitalising on some sloppy passing by Malaysia, the African goal shooter scored four buckets in a row. Hassan was now playing at an elite level, bossing her defender with her height and superior footwork. She was demanding the ball and her team-mates kept feeding it to her - and she kept scoring.
Hassan lit up Malaysia for 15 points in the second quarter alone as Tanzania pushed ahead 27-15 at the break.
To Malaysia's credit, they refused to give up the Nations Cup title without a fight and they tried to mount a comeback in the third by pressing even harder on defence. Initially, the plan seemed to work, with Hassan hitting the deck at one point after losing her footing. However, it would be the one and only time the Tanzania international would slip up.
She continued to punish the opposition at will and had Malaysia's Norashikin not managed to sink three shots at the end of the third - including a buzzer beater - the contest as a spectacle would have been over. Instead, the two teams came out for the final period with Tanzania leading by 10 points at 36-26.
With the Nations Cup trophy almost in their sights, Tanzania began to squeeze the Malaysians in the fourth quarter with goalkeeper Doritha Mbunda and skipper Lillian Sylidion using their quick hands to force numerous turnovers.
Malaysia centre Nurul Adha Abu Bakar felt the full strain of the game's now higher intensity. She suffered an ankle knock but bravely opted to stay in the game even though it was beginning to get away from her and her team-mates.
Hassan again was having her own way scoring wise; her repeated switching of stances during plays kept Malaysia's defence guessing and she ended the final with 36 points from 37 attempts. Tanzania's excellent goal attack Irene Elias chipped in with nine points.
Malaysia's Norashikin scored a respectable 27 points but in the end could only watch as her side succumbed to a 45-38 final defeat.
Malaysian coach, Aminah Asaari, was delighted despite Saturday's loss. She said, "It was amazing. A very good fight; much better from my girls. There was a lot of improvement this week. We finished third last year and went one better this year so I am very happy."
Tanzanian captain Lilian Sylidion didn't seem to feel the pressure that the crowd were experiencing. She said, "It was an easier match [compared to earlier in the week]. We knew how they played and corrected our mistakes from the first time. I feel very happy and my country will be very proud as this is the first time we have won this competition."
Earlier, hosts Singapore finished the Nations Cup 2012 in fifth after defeating the Republic of Ireland 45-31 at Toa Payoh Sports Hall.
In the day's other game, Namibia came out on top of Sri Lanka 76-70 to finish the tournament above their opponents in third.
Final Standings
1st: Tanzania
2nd: Malaysia
3rd: Namibia
4th: Sri Lanka
5th: Singapore
6th: Republic of Ireland
Most Valuable Player Awards:
Tanzania: Irene Sylidion
Malaysia: Siti Nor Farhana Mustafa
Namibia: Bemhardine Makari
Sri Lanka: Gayathri Lankathilake
Singapore: Cassandra Soh
Republic of Ireland: Genevieve Slater
Results:
Singapore 45-31 Republic of Ireland (HT 26-13)
Sri Lanka 70-76 Namibia (HT 36-34)
Tanzania 45-38 Malaysia (HT 27-15)
