On Wednesday, the Junior Proteas delivered yet another convincing performance, thumping Fiji 86-35 after leading 44-12 at half-time in their final Pool D clash.

The win marked South Africa’s fourth consecutive victory, leaving them unbeaten as they head into the knockout stages, having topped Pool D.

Renezia Andrews. Photo: Netball World Cup

The Junior Proteas got off to a flying start, leading 23-5 at the first quarter, and extended their dominance to a 32-goal lead by half-time. The second half saw the Proteas continue to assert their strength, proving ultimately too powerful for the Pacific Island team.

On Thursday evening, the Proteas face another tricky test against the Cook Islands – a team they played in a warm-up match – in the quarter-finals. A win for South Africa would be historic, as they are on the verge of reaching the last four of the Junior World Cup for the very first time.

The Cook Islands finished second in Pool A behind New Zealand. While it promises to be a tricky encounter, South Africa should have the edge if they approach the game with focus and avoid complacency.

Coach Precious Mthembu said the warm-up match against the Island nation had been invaluable in preparing the team.

“I am very pleased with the team’s performance today and with our win against a strong side like Fiji,” said Mthembu.

“These results set us up nicely for the quarter-final against the Cook Islands. We now need to shift our focus to that match. Fortunately, having already played a practice game against them here gives us a better understanding of what to expect tomorrow.”

Mbali Diphoko. Photo: Netball World Cup

Leading into the quarter-finals, the Junior Proteas have enjoyed an outstanding run, recording a 102-27 win against Barbados, a 105-15 victory over Trinidad & Tobago, a 64-33 triumph against Malawi, and Wednesday’s win against Fiji.

Thursday night’s quarter-final between South Africa and the Cook Islands will get underway at 19:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cvs