The SA Women’s hockey team and the Canada started off their five-match series in front of a good crowd at HS Menlopark in Pretoria. The match also marked senior international debuts for Laiken Brisset, Tamlyn Kock and Casey Jean Terblanche, and they ended on the right side of a 5-0 scoreline.
The opening quarter was tight and competitive with both sides settling into the contest. South Africa created the better opportunities, with Thati Zulu and Tamlyn Kock going close, but the opening period ended goalless.
The breakthrough came in the second quarter. Ntsopa Mokoena produced a fine pass into the circle to find Thati Zulu unmarked at the top, and the Olympian fired home. The South Africans doubled their advantage before halftime when Kayla de Waal found herself open on the back post to finish off a brilliant counter attacking move, sending the hosts into the break 2-0 up.
The third quarter proved far more balanced as Canada increased their attacking intent and asked more questions of the South African defence. Despite the added pressure, neither side could find a goal as both teams cancelled each other out.
South Africa put the game beyond doubt in the final quarter. Zulu added her second when a penalty corner was saved but not cleared. After a frenetic scramble in the circle, she reacted quickest to force the ball home . Debutant Laiken Brisset then enjoyed a dream moment, finishing her own rebound to score her first international goal.
The scoring was completed in emphatic fashion as Ntsopa Mokoena ran onto a perfectly weighted Kayla de Waal pass and smashed the ball into the roof of the net from the left hand side, sealing a convincing victory.
Head coach Inky Zondi was full of praise after the match.
“It’s amazing for us to play in front of a home crowd. We got great energy from the crowd and thank you to everyone that came out to support. We believe that in 2026 we can do something special for the country, including at the FIH Hockey World Cup, and this is an important first step.”
