Johannesburg and Mangaung march on as Cape sides play to thrilling draw

Johannesburg and Mangaung boosted their semifinal hopes by being the only teams to reach the end of day three of the SPAR National Netball Championships hosted by the City of Johannesburg with five wins and only one loss in the tournament so far.

Two-time defending champions Johannesburg pulled off an important victory over the team from Potchefstroom, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, but they were made to fight for it, with their opponents leading by five goals at halftime.

The hosts did well to fight their way back in an impressive third quarter and then took it away in the final period, winning the match by a somewhat flattering scoreline of 43-36.

It was a bittersweet victory for Johannesburg captain Didintle Keebine, who competed in the colours of Dr Kenneth Kaunda last year.

“It was an emotional thing. I’ve been with Dr KK for quite some time, it’s where I grew lots as a player,” she said after the match.

“But overall I think it was a good game. They came in all guns blazing. From our side, it may not have been our top performance but we did good.”

As for the prospect of a successful title defence, the captain added: “We’re still on track but need to go back to the drawing board because we can do much better than that.”

Dr Kenneth Kaunda coach Elsunet du Plessis said her side were their own worst enemies.

“It was a good game but I think we let it slip, we let ourselves down and we couldn’t pull it through,” she said afterwards.

“We’re very disappointed because we wanted to win today. Obviously everybody wants a win but I think that game could have gone any way.”

🗞️ Johannesburg & Mangaung shine at the 2024 SPAR National Netball Championships, hosted by the City of Johannesburg, with five wins and just one loss by Day 3.

👉 https://t.co/s9SHTGEs7a #SPARNationalChamps #WeAreAllIn #EndGBVF pic.twitter.com/MjNtAmvK1b
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) December 4, 2024

CAPE DERBY

Last year’s runners-up Mangaung were the other team to stay on course after a hard-fought 55-53 victory over Cape Town and a 58-47 win over Tshwane.

“This year we are still confident, not that we weren’t last year. It’s just about the connection in the team. The tournament is just a mental game so it’s about who can keep cool at the end,” said Mangaung captain Xandrie Fourie.

Another of the crucial games on Wednesday was the Cape derby between Cape Town and Cape Winelands.

It was neck and neck throughout, 26-26 at halftime, with just one goal in it by the end of the third quarter.

Winelands had a player sent off in the final quarter for two minutes but managed to withstand the pressure and eventually hold on for a 49-all draw and a share of the points.

“There was a lot happening in the game but it was a good game overall and it just represents how good the Western Cape’s netball is and that it ended in a draw is amazing,” said Cape Winelands coach Shasha-Lee Petersen afterwards.

“We had someone coming off for two minutes so we played with six and still ended up drawing, so I’m very proud of the girls and I’m glad that it was a draw,” she added.

Meanwhile, in the under-21 tournament, being played alongside the seniors, defending champions Tshwane claimed a convincing 51-40 victory over Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who had earlier played to a thrilling 40-40 draw with hosts Johannesburg.

Day 3 ended with a bang! 💥 Passion, grit, and big moments ruled the court. 🏐🔥

Tomorrow, Day 4, it’s all about turning up the heat as teams push closer to glory! Let’s go! 💪🌟#SPARNationalChamps #WeAreAllIn #NetballFamily #EndGBVF pic.twitter.com/3RxEo2RyyS
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) December 4, 2024