South Africa: Junior Africa Cup – Day 4 Recap | Windhoek, Namibia

South African Teams Seal Qualification for the Junior World Cup and Book Spots in the Final

It’s official — both the South African U21 Men and Women have qualified for the FIH Junior World Cup after commanding victories on Day 4 of the Junior Africa Cup in Windhoek. With one pool match remaining, South Africa has already locked in their places in Friday’s finals — where the African titles will be on the line.

Men: South Africa 5–0 Egypt
In a clash rich with history and rivalry, South Africa rose to the occasion with a resounding 5-0 victory over Egypt to secure their place in the final and qualification for the FIH Junior World Cup in India.

Litha Kraai and Brett Horn set the tone early with goals in the opening quarter. From there, it was business as usual for the tournament’s leading scorer Jayden Brooker, who added two more to his tally as South Africa continued to impose their dominance.

Kraai added a second in the final quarter to cap off an emphatic performance. The win keeps South Africa unbeaten and defensively solid — now sitting on four wins from four, 32 goals scored and just 4 conceded.

They face Kenya on Thursday in their final pool game before a Friday final against Namibia, with continental supremacy on the line.

Women: South Africa 5–0 Zimbabwe
In their toughest test of the tournament, the South African U21 Women produced a measured and mature performance to defeat fellow 2023 Junior World Cup qualifiers Zimbabwe 5-0 and confirm their qualification for the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile.

Paige Salis gave South Africa an early advantage, but Zimbabwe held firm until the 40th minute, when Teshawn de la Rey doubled the lead. In the final quarter, the defending champions turned up the pressure, with goals from Ane Janse van Vuuren, Caylin Maree, and Germarie Speershott adding the finishing touches.

South Africa remain unbeaten and yet to concede, with 32 goals scored and 0 conceded — a statement of intent ahead of their final two fixtures.

They will close out the group stage on Thursday against Namibia at 15:00, before facing the same side again in Friday’s final, where they will look to defend their African crown.