Barely three weeks ahead of the All Africa Games to be staged in Maputo, the Tanzania national netball coach Marry Protas has proposed trial matches before boarding the flight to the event.

Protas said at least she needs three friendly matches within the time left so as to gauge his players and critically examine strength and weaknesses.

Protas said international friendlies would help her and her technical panel to assess the players before the competition in Mozambique.

She has earmarked Uganda, Kenya and Zambia as teams to play against during the freindlies.

The coach is urgently in need of the matches so as to weigh some of the players from Zanzibar who have recently joined the team’s training camp.

“The international friendlies are very important to help us weigh the degree of competence of individual players,” said Protas.

Commenting on the on going training sessions, Protas said the netballers are responding well to give her the confidence of performing well in Mozambique.

Protas is training the team and assisted by Zanzibar women national coach Restituta Lazaro.

Protas named the players currently camping as Mwanaidi Hassan, Nelly Anyingisye, Zainab Shaibu Khatibu, Pili Peter Juma, Doritha Mbunda, Magreth Costantine, Siwa Juma Ally and Jacqueline Shemeza.

Others are Veronica Patrick, Mwanahamisi Said, Evodia Kazinja, Mizza Nyange, Lulu Joseph, Paskalia Kibayasa and Faraja Malaki.

The netball team would join other athletes from boxing and women football teams.