Mangaung opened their campaign at the SPAR National Netball Championships with a hard-fought 54-47 victory over eThekwini on the opening day of competition at Stellenberg High School in Cape Town.
Fresh from representing South Africa’s Proteas at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where the national team finished fifth, Karla Pretorius quickly swapped her role as a player for that of a coach to lead Mangaung to a winning start.
Although pleased with the result, Pretorius admitted her team fell short of its best performance.
“It was a bit of a struggle out there. It wasn’t our prettiest match, but sometimes it doesn’t have to look pretty to get over the line,” she said.
She explained that the opening game also served as an opportunity to assess different tactical options.
“There were a few things we wanted to try out and just see where everything is at.
Having that information and seeing what I need to see gives us a good foundation to build from.”
Pretorius also reflected on the transition from international player to coach, saying her recent experience with the Proteas has been invaluable.
“You learn so much when you’re on court. Being in the national setup, the coaches communicate information very well, so you keep learning. It’s all still fresh in my mind.”
After guiding Mangaung to a third-place finish in last year’s tournament during her first season as coach, Pretorius believes this year’s title race is wide open.
“That’s what you want in a competition like this. You don’t want one or two teams dominating.
“I believe any of the top five teams can challenge for medals and even win the championship.
” It all comes down to who performs best on the day.”
Elsewhere, Tshwane also made a winning start by defeating Dr Kenneth Kaunda 55-47.
Coach Rozanne Matthyse expressed satisfaction with her team’s performance despite the nerves that often accompany an opening fixture.
“The first game is always a bit jittery, but I’m happy with the result.
The biggest positive is how the players recovered after making mistakes and how well they adapted to different combinations.”
Tshwane, champions from 2018 to 2020, are aiming to reclaim the title after several challenging seasons.
“We came here to win. That’s our ultimate goal, but we know there’s a process.
“We’ll take it one game at a time to reach the semi-finals and then the final,” Matthyse said.
Defending champions Johannesburg and 2025 runners-up Cape Town also began their campaigns against visiting sides Namibia and Botswana. Since the two neighbouring countries are guest participants, the matches did not count towards the standings.
Johannesburg were held to a 44-44 draw by Namibia, while Cape Town recorded a comfortable 58-47 victory over Botswana, thanks to an impressive 94 per cent shooting accuracy.
In another Senior A fixture, Nelson Mandela Bay secured a convincing 56-38 win over Alfred Nzo in an all-Eastern Cape encounter.
In the Under-21 A section, defending champions Johannesburg began their title defence in dominant fashion with a 62-22 victory over Royal Bafokeng.
The SPAR National Netball Championships continue on Friday at Stellenberg High School and will conclude on Tuesday, August 11.
Opening Day Results
Senior A
Johannesburg 44-44 Namibia
Nelson Mandela Bay 56-38 Alfred Nzo
Tshwane 55-47 Dr Kenneth Kaunda
Mangaung 54-47 eThekwini
Cape Town 58-47 Botswana
Under-21 A
Johannesburg 62-22 Royal Bafokeng
Mangaung 46-34 Dr Kenneth Kaunda
Tshwane 53-45 Ekurhuleni
Royal Bafokeng 42-41 Cape Town
