Despite a gallant effort, the Spar Proteas succumbed to a 61-55 loss in a thrilling Nations Cup final played at the Copper Box Arena in London, England, on Sunday, 9 February, 2025.
The match, attended by a sell-out crowd of 7,000 spectators, was always expected to be a nail-biting final after both teams engaged in a closely contested clash a week ago which South Africa beat the hosts 61-59.
On Sunday, however, the Proteas faced their toughest challenge in the tournament playing the hosts at home for the title.
The Proteas started the game impressively with Sanmarie Visser (GK) making life difficult for the English goal shooters in the circle. South Africa held England throughout the first quarter, leading 15-12 going into the break.
However, the England Roses quickly regrouped and demonstrated remarkable skill in the second quarter closing the gap. After two missed attempts at goal from South Africa, the host nation levelled the score and then took the lead.
With England leading 26-23 and four minutes remaining in the second quarter, South Africa needed to regain control. However, they struggled with several turnovers, allowing England to extend their lead to 30-28 by halftime. In the first half, the team recorded 16 turnovers. For comparison, South Africa had only 15 turnovers throughout the entire game against Malawi on Saturday.
England continued to build momentum in the third quarter, extending their lead to six points. South Africa encountered a difficult six minutes in the third quarter when centre Refiloe Nketsa was sent off court for dangerous play.
This situation gave England a significant advantage. However, instead of faltering with a player down, South Africa remained resilient and aggressively pushed forward scoring two goals, but England managed to maintain a four-point lead.
As the quarter progressed, England continued to keep their score ticking upward. Despite being a player down, SA fought valiantly, narrowing the gap from six points to three by the end of the quarter, which concluded 46-43 in favour of England.
During the third quarter break, Coach Jenny van Dyk urged her team to focus on ball control and the basics as the fourth quarter commenced. South Africa battled back, to level the score at 46-46. England responded by pulling ahead by six points and held on to secure the victory 61-55.
In her post-match interview, van Dyk acknowledged that Nketsa’s sending off posed a significant challenge for the team. “I’m not even quite sure what happened there but we’ll have to go back and look at what could have gone wrong.
“But no excuses today. I felt that we spent six minutes playing with only six players on the court in a final, you know we have to ask the questions what happened there,” she said.
She praised her team for standing their ground even when outnumbered in the third quarter.
“At the end of the day, coming back into the game with only six players on board, I just thought that was the true South African character and our nation’s spirit. It’s about finishing strong, and we said it from the start that it was important for us to stay in the game and I felt that we did.”
Spar Proteas Head Coach, Jenny van Dyk
With five of the world’s top 15 netball-ranked nations from Africa, she questioned whether their unique African style of play was considered when competing against teams from other continents. She further emphasised that if this style is not acknowledged and officiating does not align with the African approach, they are forced to adapt to succeed at international competitions.
Van Dyk concluded: “So at the end of the day, there’s no excuses for us. We’ve had a great campaign, but we’ve been away from home for a long time and that being said, I’m very proud of my players. I felt they showed so much character. Congratulations to England. They fought well today.”
The Proteas will be returning back to OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, at 9:30am.
Match Breakdown: England vs South Africa
Q1: 15 – 12
Q2: 28 – 30
Q3: 43 – 46
Q4: 55 – 61
Player of the Match: Funmi Fadoju
Player of the Tournament: Liv Tchine
Vitality Netball Nations Cup 2025 Results
Saturday, 1 February at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham
South Africa 70 – 45 Uganda
England 62 – 6 Malawi
Sunday, 2 February at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham
Malawi 59 – 45 Uganda
England 59 – 61 South Africa
Saturday, 8 February at the Copper Box Arena in London
Malawi 55 – 58 South Africa
England 59 – 48 Uganda
Sunday, 9 February at the Copper Box Arena in London
Third Place Play-Off – Malawi 45 – 40 Uganda
Grand Final – England 61 – 55 South Africa
Spar Proteas Squad for the Vitality Netball Nations Cup 2025 from 1 to 9 February, 2025
Defenders
Boitumelo Mahloko
Sanmarie Visser*
Ané Retief
Syntiche Kabuya
Jamie van Wyk
Mid-Court
Kamogelo Maseko
Tarle Mathe
Khanyisa Chawane (C)
Refiloe Nketsa
Jeanté Strydom
Shooters
Nicholé Breedt
Rolene Streutker
Elmeré van der Berg
Ine-Marí Venter
Owethu Ngubane
Original Copy: Netball SA, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Despite a gallant effort, the Spar Proteas succumbed to a 61-55 loss in a thrilling Nations Cup final played in front of a sell-out crowd of 7,000 spectators at the Copper Box Arena in London, England, on Sunday, 9 February, 2025. Photo: Morgan Harlow
Photo 2 Caption: Sanmarie Visser and Olivia Tchine battled for the ball during the Vitality Nations Cup 2025 final, in which England beat South Africa 61 – 55 to lift the series trophy at the Copper Arena in London. Photo: Morgan Harlow
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