Lilongwe – SPAR Proteas head coach Jenny van Dyk and her charges retained their status as African Champions with a 56 – 34 win over continental rivals Uganda on Sunday in Lilongwe, Malawi.
South Africa has set a record as five-time champions of the continental showpiece.
The SPAR Proteas locked horns with Uganda in the final match of the 2025 Africa Netball Cup as they were on a quest to defend their title.
South Africa came into this match beaming with pride and confidence as they were yet to taste defeat in this tournament.
South Africa were on a mission to win the tournament for a record fifth time, and were the first to get off the mark, commanding the pace of the game.
Coach van Dyk started with a slightly different combination from that in their semi-final match against Zimbabwe.
A notable omission in the line-up was Captain Khanyisa Chawane.
In her absence, Elmere van der Berg captained the team.
SPAR Proteas continued to exert pressure on their counterparts, and at the end of the first quarter, it was South Africa who led 16 -7.
With no change to the starting seven after the first quarter, SPAR Proteas continued where they left off at fifteen minutes – they piled the pressure on Uganda as they marched towards the finish line.
South Africa’s defence was very disciplined as they allowed Uganda to only score nine goals while conceding 11. At the end of the first half, it was the SPAR Proteas who led 27 – 16.
With Refiloe Nketsa already on a caution, coach Jenny van Dyk moved quickly to save her and brought Sanmarie Visser in Goal Defence while moving Jamie van Wyk to Wing Defence to replace Nketsa.
SPAR Proteas took the championship quarter 17 -10, taking the overall score to 44 -26.
South Africa’s tactical discipline throughout the game carried them and delivered a championship trophy – at the end of the hour, it was the SPAR Proteas who came out on top and won the match 56 – 34 to be crowned the Champions of Africa for a record-breaking fifth time.
“Uganda will make you work the day on that netball court; we knew that we needed to have a very solid game plan and come in very strong,” said a delighted Jenny van Dyk, SPAR Proteas Head Coach.
“From the onset, we understood that this game would be won in the circle; we needed to figure out how we were going to do that.
“I must thank Uganda for a great game of netball and for such a great final. Well done to them as well for playing the way they did.
“As a team, we have our own set target, and that is to score 60; we fell short today, but what matters is that we are champions.”
Earlier in the day, the South Africa Male team also retained their title as African Champions after beating Zimbabwe 40 -29.
Coach Jabulani Vilane made light of their assignment as they clinched the title for the second time in three years
The post Making History: SPAR Proteas Defeat Uganda To Become Five-Time Africa Netball Champions appeared first on The Bulrushes.
