It was a memorable night that also marked senior international debuts for Laiken Brisset, Tamlyn Kock and Bloemfontein-born Casey-Jean Terblanche (née Botha), with all three proudly donning the green and gold for the first time on home soil.

Terblanche became the latest of a long line of Eunice old girls to go on to represent South Africa, while others including the likes of Nicole Erasmus (née Walraven), Taheera Augousti, and Kayla Swarts, but to name a few.

The opening quarter was a tight and competitive affair as both sides settled into the contest. South Africa showed early intent and created the better chances, with Thati Zulu and Kock going close, but the deadlock remained unbroken at the first break.

The breakthrough arrived in the second quarter through a moment of real class. Ntsopa Mokoena threaded a sublime pass into the circle to find Zulu unmarked at the top, and the Olympian made no mistake, firing home to the delight of the vocal home crowd.

The hosts doubled their advantage before half-time when Kayla de Waal found herself free at the back post to finish off a slick counter-attacking move, sending South Africa into the break 2–0 up.

The third quarter proved far more evenly contested as Canada lifted their attacking intensity and began to ask more questions of the South African defence. Despite the increased pressure, both sides were unable to find a breakthrough as they effectively cancelled each other out.

South Africa put the result beyond doubt in the final quarter. Zulu grabbed her second of the afternoon after a penalty corner was saved but not cleared. In a frenetic scramble inside the circle, she reacted quickest to force the ball home for a 3–0 lead.

Debutant Brisset then enjoyed a dream moment, showing great composure to finish her own rebound and claim her first international goal.

The scoring was completed in emphatic fashion as Mokoena burst onto a perfectly weighted pass from De Waal and smashed the ball into the roof of the net from the left-hand side, sealing a convincing 5–0 win.

Head coach Inky Zondi was full of praise for his side after the match.

“It’s amazing for us to play in front of a home crowd. We got great energy from the stands, and thank you to everyone who came out to support us. We believe in 2026 we can do something special for the country, including at the FIH Hockey World Cup, and this is an important first step.”

It was a confident and commanding opening performance from the SA Women’s Hockey Team as the series gets underway, with focus already shifting to the next encounter in what promises to be a fiercely competitive five-match contest.

The 2nd Test will be played on Saturday at 16:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg