South Africa’s opening victory over Namibia provided the ideal platform as preparations for the FIH Hockey World Cup gather pace.
Cape Town, South Africa (21 July 2026) – South Africa’s women’s hockey team got their final World Cup preparations off to the perfect start with a confident victory over Namibia in the opening match of their four-Test series, laying down an encouraging marker ahead of the biggest tournament on their calendar.
The series forms a crucial part of the Proteas’ build-up to the FIH Hockey World Cup, where they will take on England, China and India. With the global showpiece fast approaching, the fixtures against Namibia give the coaching staff one last opportunity to fine-tune combinations, assess performances and settle on their strongest line-up.
It was also a memorable afternoon for Ntsopa Mokoena, who celebrated her 50th international cap in style. The experienced forward marked the milestone by finding the back of the net and walking away with the Player of the Match award.
South Africa controlled large periods of the contest from the opening whistle. Although they dominated possession early on, they initially struggled to convert that control into goals before Kayla de Waal finally broke the deadlock with a clever turn and composed finish.
Mokoena’s landmark appearance was capped with South Africa’s fourth goal after she finished off an excellent move created by Thati Zulu down the right flank.
While the Proteas created several dangerous attacking opportunities throughout the encounter, there will still be areas to sharpen before the World Cup begins, particularly in making the most of their chances inside the circle.
The two sides meet again on Tuesday at Elkanah House High School, where the Proteas will be aiming to build on an encouraging opening performance and continue gathering momentum before heading to the World Cup.
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