South African Women Bounce Back with Victory Over Hosts Croatia in Play-Offs

The SPAR South African Indoor Hockey Women secured a crucial 6-0 victory against hosts Croatia in the 9-12 playoffs of the FIH Indoor World Cup, aiming to conclude a challenging tournament on a positive note. Playing in front of a passionate home crowd eager to witness Croatia’s first-ever victory against the African champions, South Africa delivered a composed and dominant performance.

The opening ten minutes were cagey, with both teams approaching the game cautiously, still bearing the effects of a tough group stage. As a result, the first quarter ended in a goalless stalemate, with neither side able to break the deadlock.

South Africa eventually took the lead when Malikah Hamza reacted quickest to a well-worked play by Laylaa Davids, slotting home the opener. The goal injected confidence into the South Africans, who began to display greater fluidity in possession. They appeared to have doubled their lead when Kayla de Waal found the net, but the goal was disallowed for an infringement, as she was deemed to have used the back stick. However, as the umpire had been playing the advantage, South Africa was awarded a penalty stroke. Tegan Fourie stepped up to take it, but Croatian goalkeeper Andrićić produced a brilliant save to keep her side in the contest. The score remained 1-0 at halftime.

In the second half, South Africa extended their advantage when player of the match Daniella de Oliveira fired home from a penalty corner. The lead grew further when Cailynn den Bakker capitalized on a goalmouth scramble, lifting the ball into the net.

During the final quarter, Fourie was given another opportunity from the penalty spot, and this time she made no mistake, going low to strike the backboard. With Croatia opting to pull their goalkeeper in the final moments, de Waal took full advantage, scoring twice in the last two minutes to seal a resounding victory for South Africa.

South Africa will now face Australia in the battle for ninth place as they conclude their 2025 Indoor World Cup campaign.