Rampant Proteas thump Tanzania as Dames enjoys dream debut at Africa Netball Cup

The star-studded Spar Proteas humbled Tanzania on Monday afternoon to begin the defence of their Africa Netball Cup title in emphatic fashion with a record 104-25 victory in a pool match at the Griffin Saenda Sports Complex in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The defending champions flew out of the blocks and had too much intensity on attack and in defence for their far less experienced rivals. They were already out of sight by half-time, when they led 56-11. They never took their foot off the pedal, ending the third quarter with the score at 79-17 before a final flurry took them past 100 points.

The minnows were always going to struggle against a powerful Proteas starting line-up boasting the shooting talents of Elmeré van der Berg, backed up by the versatility of Owethu Ngubane at goal attack, the guile and vision of wing attack Kamogelo Maseko, skipper KC Chawane setting the tempo at centre, and the tireless energy and drive of wing defence Refiloe Nketsa.

Jamie van Wyk and Nicola Smith are both monsters on defence. Yet with all that international pedigree taking the floor for the centre pass, and plenty more besides on the bench, it was rising star Kyla Dames who stole the limelight.

“Definitely a good first game for us. Happy with what the team showed and happy to be able to test a lot of different combinations. Happy to get a first cap for Kyla Dames, who really played well and received Player of the Match,” Proteas head coach Jenny van Dyk said in her post-match interview. “Overall, pleased with the performance for today.”

It was a dream senior Proteas debut for World Youth Cup standout Dames, on a day when goal shooter Van der Berg celebrated a 50th cap in a full-circle moment.

The lethal shooter’s Proteas journey began at the same tournament in 2021, and she has since gone on to become a stalwart of an exciting Proteas team able to hold their own against the world’s best.

“It feels amazing. This is my first cap for the Proteas and I don’t have words, honestly. This has been my dream for so long. It really feels amazing,” Dames said afterwards.

While the scoreline pointed to a near-flawless display, Van Dyk did point out areas of concern, especially with a challenging match against hosts and arch-rivals Malawi on the horizon.

“I think we’re kind of losing our focus at stages and just become a little too loose on the attack. It’s just about cleaning up and making sure we can have a disciplined approach for the full 60 minutes of the game. We’re definitely going to need it come the full 60 minutes against Malawi tomorrow.”

The Proteas edged a close contest between the two sides 58-55 in the Netball Nations Cup in England earlier this year, but the Queens will be a different prospect with the raucous backing of the home fans in Lilongwe. SA’s second Pool 1 match will take place at 6pm on Tuesday.

SA’s men also got their title defence off to the perfect start on Monday with a 59-38 victory over Botswana. They will face Zimbabwe in their second pool match at 2pm on Tuesday.