The SPAR Proteas continued their unbeaten run in the 2025 Vitality Nations Cup after a hard-fought 58-55 victory against Malawi at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday evening.
The undefeated SPAR Proteas have not lost a quarter in each game leading up to the final.
South African coach Jenny van Dyk has established her starting lineup since the Jamaican series, and the past two games have highlighted a trend in her selections.
However, this time she fielded a different team, showcasing the talent and depth within the South African squad.
A determined Malawi opened the game with a 4-1 lead, keeping pace and staying within striking distance throughout the first half.
However, South Africa edged ahead, winning the first quarter by 2 goals (15-13).
The second quarter continued to be a tight battle but ended with coach Jenny van Dyk’s troops holding a slim 31-28 lead.
South Africa managed to extend their lead slightly in the third quarter, with Nichole Breedt taking court at Goal Attack replacing Elmere van der Berg.
The SPAR Proteas took a 46-40 advantage into the final period.
Despite a valiant final quarter effort from Malawi, and court time for Syntiche Kabuya (GK) replacing Ane Retief, South Africa held on to secure a 58-55 victory.
The Vitality Player of the Match was awarded to the SPAR Proteas Nichole Breedt, whose performance as a Goal Attacker was instrumental in the win.
Reflecting on the win and the accolade, Breedt emphasised the collective effort that propelled the SPAR Proteas to the final.
“I’m so excited to have won this award. It was definitely a team effort.
I think all seven of us that were on the court at any given time really just gave our all with attack and defence.
It was just nice being on the court and having the support of every single person on the team, whether it be the six besides me on court or those on the bench and management,” said Breedt.
Meanwhile, South African captain Khanyisa Chawane expressed her appreciation for the challenging nature of the game, which required a determined team effort.
She believes this experience will be important in the final.
“The game today was a good one.
I think we needed this type of a game where collectively we had to grind it out and stick together as a team.
We worked really hard to get that win.
The job is done for us to get into the final.
It’s now crunch time, we really need to grind it out in the final.
I’m proud of how we’ve worked in the Nations Cup,” said Chawane.
This win sets up a highly anticipated final against the host nation, England.
The two teams have already met once in the tournament, with South Africa emerging victorious 61-59 in a close encounter at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham last Sunday.
