GLASGOW — Team South Africa continued their strong start to the 2026 Commonwealth Games netball tournament, delivering a comprehensive 96-42 victory over Tonga in their second Preliminary Round Pool A match on Friday.
Following a solid 65-44 win against Malawi in their opening fixture, South Africa maintained their momentum with an efficient performance on both ends of the court, controlling 63% of the overall match possession and dictating the tempo throughout the 60 minutes.
Attacking Efficiency from Streutker and Ngubane
South Africa’s shooting circle was highly effective, capitalizing on the team’s strong midcourt distribution. Goal Shooter Rolene Streutker anchored the attack for three quarters, converting 51 of her 58 attempts for an 88% shooting accuracy. Sammy Ngubane, who played the full 60 minutes rotating between Goal Attack and Goal Shooter, provided consistent support, contributing 34 goals from 40 attempts (85%).
Kamogelo Maseko was introduced in the final quarter and maintained the high conversion rate, shooting a near-flawless 11 from 12 to help close out the match.
The shooters benefited from a steady supply of feeds from the midcourt. Khanyisa Elaine Chawane delivered 21 goal assists and 34 feeds into the circle during her 30 minutes on court. Tarle Nikkita Mathe, who played the entire match across the Centre and Wing Defence positions, was instrumental in transitioning the ball, registering 19 goal assists and 28 feeds while also putting in a massive defensive shift with seven deflections.
Quarter-by-Quarter Consistency
South Africa established an early advantage, finishing the first quarter with a 26-15 lead. The team tightened their defensive structure significantly in the second quarter, restricting Tonga to just eight goals while scoring 25 of their own to take a commanding 51-23 lead into the half-time break.
Tonga found a better offensive rhythm in the third quarter, largely through the accuracy of Uneeq Palavi, who was a standout performer for her side with 29 goals from 32 attempts (91%). However, South Africa still outscored their opponents 21-12 in the period. The Proteas finished strongly in the fourth quarter, outscoring Tonga 24-7 to finalize the 96-42 result.
Defensive Solidity
Defensively, South Africa successfully disrupted Tonga’s attacking flow. Goalkeeper Nicola Smith was a central figure in the defensive circle, registering an impressive 11 deflections and three interceptions during her 55 minutes of play. Karla Pretorius and Jamie van Wyk applied consistent pressure, contributing to a team total of 14 interceptions compared to Tonga’s five.
With two consecutive victories and a healthy goal differential, South Africa has positioned themselves well in Pool A as they look ahead to the remaining preliminary round fixtures.
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