Sunshine Girl vice-captain Nicole Dixon showered praise on head coach Connie Francis following Sunday’s 59-54 win over South Africa in their opening match of the 2020 Vitality Nations Cup.

Playing at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, Jamaica avenged their loss to the South Africans, which prevented Jamaica from advancing to the semi-finals of the Netball World Cup in Liverpool in July 2019.

“Connie Francis is just one of the best. She works hard. She believes in us and she helps us to believe in ourselves. Whatever she sets for the target, and whatever goals she sets for us and we set for ourselves, she is expecting us to go out there and execute and that’s what we did,” Dixon said following the team’s hard-fought victory.

The teams will now move to Birmingham for the second matchday where Jamaica will take on New Zealand and England play South Africa on Wednesday, January 22.

New Zealand opened their campaign with a 64-48 win over hosts England.