SA u17 girls dominate Zimbabwe u18 in 4–0 victory
The South African u17A girls’ hockey side delivered a commanding performance on Tuesday, cruising to a 4-0 win over Zimbabwe‘s u18 team on day one of The Allistar Fredericks Africa Challenge.
The national teams met at St David’s Marist Inanda, in Sandton, in front of a lively crowd.
From the opening whistle, the game was off to an energetic start, with the defences standing firm while the sides probed for opening.
For close to one-and-a-half chukkas, the contest was deadlocked. Then, Jemma Ferreira broke the stalemate. Capitalising on a well-worked penalty corner, she struck with precision to put South Africa ahead.
That goal shifted the momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour, and Ferreira made her presence felt again, doubling the lead before the halftime whistle.
The hosts’ dominance told, though, and they extended their lead when Jamie Da Silva struck from a penalty corner.
Her goal brought a strong response from the Zimbabweans, who put together some good attacking moves, and even won a penalty corner, but their industry went unrewarded.
In the final chukka, coach Omari Pienaar-Geyer‘s team sealed the victory in style when Raffael Abrahams slotted from a short corner to put the result beyond doubt.
The scoreline reflected South Africa’s edge, particularly from set pieces. Zimbabwe delivered a spirited performance and exhibited some good skills, but it wasn’t enough.
Speaking after the match, Pienaar-Geyer reflected on the team’s performance: “I believe we have a promising group of players, and while we’re still in the early stages of developing our team dynamics, I’m pleased with our win. It’s a positive start.”
She acknowledged areas for improvement despite the strong showing. “We recognize that there are fundamental areas we need to improve on, particularly in refining our basic skills and enhancing our tactical connections. These are critical for building a cohesive team.”
Looking ahead to the remainder of the tournament, the coach remained optimistic:
“Each match is a chance for learning and improvement, and I’m optimistic about our progress. Our aim is to keep pushing forward, building on our strengths, and working together to become even better in future games.”
She added with confidence that the Journey is exciting.
“Overall, it’s an exciting journey for us, and we’re looking forward to the games ahead. Will be better today – promise. Looking forward to the game and excited for the improvements.”
There was further success for South Africa, with the SAu16 side beating their Zimbabwe counterparts 6-0.
The Allistar Fredericks Africa Challenge continues with further matches on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
SA vs ZIM FIXTURES
Wednesday, 13 August
18:30 – SA u17 vs Zim u18
Thursday, 14 August
17:00 – SA u17 vs Zim u18
Friday, 15 August
14:30 – SA u17 vs Zim u18
