African champions South Africa have opened their FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025 campaign with a convincing win over Austria at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped in Santiago, Chile, South America, on Tuesday, 2 December 2025.
This is the African champs’ ninth appearance at the event, and their first-ever meeting with Austria at this level, which added an extra layer of anticipation to the start of the tournament.
With England and China also in Pool D, both teams understood how important a positive start would be.
South Africa settled quickly when Leah du Plessis ran onto a brilliant through-ball and showed wonderful patience to round the keeper and calmly rolled the ball into the back of the net.
The South African Olympians, Ntsopa Mokoena, Taheera Augousti and Paris-Gail Isaacs, were in complete control of the tempo, and looked dangerous throughout.
Mokoena then produced a moment of total composure in the second quarter when she doubled the lead after being given far too much space, picking her spot and finishing with confidence.
Austria pulled one back through their experienced captain Katharina Proksch just before the break to keep the contest alive.
The second half asked more of the South Africans as they collected two green cards and a yellow, which meant long periods of playing with fewer numbers.
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Even so, they found the next big moment when Du Plessis stepped up again with a superb penalty corner strike that rattled into the backboard to extend the lead.
In the final quarter, South Africa completed the remaining time on the yellow card and almost immediately created another opportunity.
Augousti slipped a sublime ball through to Mokoena, whose first shot was brilliantly saved, but she reacted instantly and hammered the rebound home on the reverse side.
It was a composed and impressive start for the young South Africans, who will now turn their attention to England in forty-eight hours as the pool begins to take shape.
South Africa’s Pool D Group Fixtures (all Matches 14h00 CAT)
2 Dec: South Africa 4-1 Austria
4 Dec: South Africa vs England
6 Dec: South Africa vs China
South Africa Playing XI and Bench
4 Germarie Spershott
5 Tara Pakendorf
7 Taheera Augousti
9 Anja Tromp
10 Ane Janse van Vuuren (C)
13 Paris-Gail Isaacs
17 Ntsopa Mokoena
18 Teshawn De la Rey
19 Hannah Quinton
24 Reabetswe Phume
25 Richele Norval (GK)
Substitutes
2 Leah du Plessis
6 Jodie Blows
8 Emily Macquet
11 Thabelani Metu
14 Baylee Engelke
16 Nomsa Mzizi
26 Manisha Desai (GK)
Austria Playing XI and Bench
2 Josefine Riedl
8 Louisa Pelz
9 Elena Lendl (GK)
11 Katharina Bauer
12 Amelie Minar
14 Philippa Proksch
15 Katharina Proksch
23 Lisa Sailer
28 Anja Haselsteiner
30 Marie Pelz
32 Anna Hackl
Substitutes
16 Anna Damm
17 Florentina Buchta
24 Pia Reisegger
26 Liv Heindl
27 Jula Enzinger
29 Celina Kölbl
42 Sofie Draxler (GK)
The FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025 in Santiago, Chile, from 1 to 13 December, 2025
Pool A
Netherlands
Japan
Chile
Malaysia
Pool B
Argentina
Belgium
Zimbabwe
Wales
Pool C
Germany
India
Ireland
Namibia
Pool D
England
South Africa
China
Austria
Pool E
Australia
Spain
Canada
Scotland
Pool F
United States
Korea
New Zealand
Uruguay
Original Copy: SA Hockey, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Leah du Plessis (pictured) and Ntsopa Mokoena each sunk a brace as the young South African opened their FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025 campaign with a convincing win over Austria at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped in Santiago, Chile, South America, on Tuesday, 2 December 2025. Photo: SA Hockey
Photo 2 Caption: Ntsopa Mokoena demonstrated her threat by striking the backboards with two field goals in South Africa’s opening win in Santiago. File Photo: SA Hockey
