The South African women’s hockey team maintained their perfect start to the 2025 African Hockey Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Ghana in Ismailia earlier today.
After their emphatic opening win over Egypt, the South Africans knew that this clash against the continent’s second-ranked side would provide a much sterner test — and so it proved.
South Africa dominated possession and territory in the early exchanges and were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Hannah Pearce’s shot was stopped illegally on the line. However, Quanita Bobbs was unable to convert from the penalty spot, sending her effort wide of the post.
The breakthrough finally came late in the first quarter when Thati Zulu produced a moment of brilliance, threading a superb pass into space for Ongeziwe Mali. The dynamic striker took the ball wide before unleashing a composed finish to put South Africa 1–0 up at the first break.
Early in the second quarter, Jean-Leigh du Toit doubled the advantage with a low, powerful penalty corner strike, before Mali added her second with a sharp first-time finish to stretch the lead to 3–0.
But Ghana refused to roll over, responding impressively before halftime. They capitalised on two penalty corners, with Adwoa Amoah and Mavis Berko both finding the back of the net to narrow the deficit to just one.
The second half turned into a tense, tactical battle. The defending champions showed resilience and defensive composure, successfully repelling three Ghanaian penalty corners and managing two green-card suspensions to preserve their slender lead.
The victory sees South Africa remain on top of the log with six points from two matches as they continue their campaign to defend their continental crown.
For More South African Sports News: Sport South Africa Home Page
