With the weather not in their favour, South Africa’s junior hockey side delivered a confident performance, beating Canada 9-1.
Tamil Nadu, India (02 December 2025) – South Africa wrapped up their final Pool A clash in style at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup, putting on a lively, high-energy performance to beat Canada 9–1 in the pouring rain of Tamil Nadu. It was the kind of match where everything was going to plan. The big goals, quick reactions, and a whole lot of confidence, giving the SA juniors a real shot at sneaking into the quarter-finals as one of the best second-placed finishers.
From the first whistle, South Africa played like a team on a mission. The rain might have been heavy, but the team’s intent was even heavier. Jaydon Brooker wasted no time, scoring twice in under a minute with two almost copy-and-paste finishes. Canada did manage to pull one back through Robin Thind, but that was the only moment the South Africans allowed any stress to creep in.
Once the nerves settled, South Africa switched right back into dominant mode, sending South Africa into halftime comfortably ahead at 4–1.
The second half had even more flair. Jaydon completed his hat-trick with a flowing team move he started himself, before Litha Kraai’s quick thinking created the chance for Dan Neuhoff to slot home number six. Then came the firecracker as Carlon Mentoor launched an absolute rocket into the roof of the net. This was the kind of goal that makes you forget they’re standing in stormy conditions.
Jayden added a penalty stroke for his fourth of the night, and Ross Montgomery wrapped things up with a simple tap-in after excellent work from Horn. At 9–1, South Africa walked off the field soaked, smiling, and very much in the conversation for a quarter-final berth.
Now, all eyes turn to the other pool results to see whether this emphatic, feel-good win is enough to book a top-eight spot or whether the team shifts into the middle-eight playoff bracket. Either way, South Africa made sure their final pool match was one to remember.
Watch the game’s highlights here.
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