South Africa’s U20 water polo team may have finished 19th in the world… but they finished first in our hearts, and apparently, on Gayton McKenzie’s emoji keyboard.
Global (22 June 2025) – It was a proud moment. A sporting victory. A big bold celebration for our team in green and gold.
Also… it was a match for 19th place.
But don’t tell that to South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, who fired off a post so full of national pride, emojis, and unshakeable enthusiasm, it practically did a lap around the pool.
“We are the best sporting nation in the world 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🙏” – Gayton McKenzie via Facebook
South Africa’s U20 water polo team had just beaten New Zealand 16–15 in a dramatic penalty shootout at the 2025 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia and while it might have been the playoff for 19th place, it felt like Olympic gold online.
Cue the reactions.
“Operation ‘Win Everything’ 🏆 is here.”
“A new Era is upon us, SA is doing extremely well in many frontiers 🇿🇦”
“It looks like South Africa is using witchcraft on sports the way it is winning”
“Well done to the lads for their win. But can we calm down a bit about a 19th place finish?”
“So we ended 19th, is that what I’m seeing?? 😂”
“What is this now? Hugging Championships? 😆”
“South Africa just won the ‘Ain’t nobody got time for small print’ world champs!!”
So what actually happened?
Let’s break it down.
South Africa’s U20 water polo squad had a tough run at the tournament, grouped with Brazil and Germany, both seasoned sides. They went on to face Colombia, Kazakhstan and Canada in the classification rounds, and while results didn’t go our way in those matches, the team stayed in the fight.
Then came New Zealand.
With both teams vying to avoid the dreaded bottom spot, it all came down to this final showdown. Four intense quarters ended in a 15–15 tie, which pushed the game into a penalty shootout. South Africa held their nerve and edged it 3–2, securing 19th place and a whole lot of unexpected internet fame.
“After two interesting matches decided in penalty shootouts, Colombia won 17th place, while South Africa avoided the bottom of the standings with a victory over New Zealand.”
Yes, it was for 19th place. No, it wasn’t a medal match. But context matters and this young team’s win is more than just a number on a chart. You see, South Africa is climbing. In recent years, our senior water polo teams have qualified for the Olympics, held strong at World Championships and helped put the sport on the map locally. Youth participation is growing, and our juniors are starting to show promise, just by qualifying for global tournaments like this one.
So maybe we’re not world champs just yet… but don’t tell that to Gayton McKenzie. Or to the players who hugged it out in that pool with proud smiles on their faces. Or to every South African who needed a win (even a 19th-place one) to make their day a little brighter.
Because if there’s one thing we’ll never run short of… it’s spirit (and jokes).
Update: A Viral Post, A Court Ruling And Awareness For South African Water Polo!
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