Eastern Province A, Northern Gauteng A, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal A, and Western Province A stayed in the hunt for the Sandra Jordaan Trophy by punching their tickets to the semifinals of the SASHOC National Week on Thursday.
The inter-provincial tournament concludes on Saturday, with the final being played at St Anne’s in Hilton.
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KZN Coastal A was the first team to secure a spot in the final four with a 2-0 victory over Southern Gauteng A in the first match of the day.
Coach Chardinay Penniston‘s charges made a strong start to the contest, taking the lead after only four minutes through Jenna-Leigh Freese. The KZN Coastal captain then netted her second in the final minute of the chukka.
“The girls were clinical in front of goal, defended exceptionally well, and really controlled the tempo of the game,” Erdine Coetzee, the Coastals team manager, told SuperSport Schools News.
“They kept their composure under pressure, and everyone played their part, which I believe has been a big reason for our success so far.”
The victory earned them pole position in Pool B with 12 points from four wins and a loss. Coetzee said those group results reflected the effort the team has invested both on and off the field.
“The girls can be proud of what they have achieved in the group stages. We certainly are proud of them,” she said.
KZN Coastal A will meet the Pool B runners-up, Northern Gauteng A, for a place in the final on Friday morning at 10:50.
Coach Sinoxolo Mbekeni‘s side made a less-than-ideal start to their campaign, losing two of their first three games, which meant that every subsequent match turned into a must-win contest.
“We thought we had a one percent chance, but the girls were more motivated. They wanted to give themselves the best chance possible,” Mbekeni shared after their semifinal qualification.
Northern Gauteng A, who faced Boland A in their final group match, went into the contest wary of their opposition’s firepower up front, with Boland A’s Alanda Rademeyer the tournament’s joint-top scorer with five goals to her name.
“We classed it as a do-or-die match. The plan was to stay in the game for as long as possible and try to get the win at the end,” Mbekeni said.
True to her words, Northern Gauteng A played with discipline and immense energy to keep the defending champs at bay. Chanette Jansen van Vuuren then broke the deadlock with a goal in the 37th minute. That was enough to secure victory and a semifinal place.
The KZN Coastal A vs Northern Gauteng A clash will be a rematch of the 2024 semifinal. That contest ended 1-1 after regulation time before Northern Gauteng A triumphed 3-2 in a penalty shootout. Mbekeni’s side will hope to deliver heartbreak for Coastals again, while Penniston’s charges will be eager to avenge that loss, especially in their home province.
The other semifinal, which will feature Eastern Province A and Western Province A, brings together the teams that played for third place last year. In 2025, the result went Western Province A’s way by two goals to nil.
Coach Geowynne Gamiet’s EP heads into the semi-final showdown seeking redemption. They finished the group matches as the only unbeaten side with four wins and a draw.
That draw came on Thursday in a cracking contest against KZN Inland A, who had two wins and two losses ahead of the game.
Eastern Province were favoured, but Inland A gave as good as they got and forced EP to come from behind, with Lucy Holderness slotting a penalty stroke to earn her side a 3-3 draw.
“The girls had a good outing. They created numerous opportunities. Another great thing to note was their ability to come from behind against Inland,” Gamiet said.
Eastern Province took the lead in the fifth minute, courtesy of Kerrin Gillies‘ strike. Inland A responded with a 13th-minute equaliser from Anna Schulze.
Kiyara Constable knocked a rebound into the goal in the 17th minute to put EP ahead again, but Schulze struck for the second time from a penalty corner to level for Inland just four minutes later. Owami Mthethwa then put Inland into the lead a minute before the halftime break.
For a while, it appeared as if Eastern Province was headed towards their first loss of the tournament. However, Lucy Holderness, who relentlessly drove EP forward in the second half, denied Inland their third win with her goal in the 42nd minute.
Western Province A was the only semifinalist to lose in the last round of group matches. Coach Olu Ncukana‘s fell to a 0-1 defeat against Southern Free State A, for whom Marlene du Plessis scored.
Both Western Province A and Southern Free State A finished with 12 points at the conclusion of their pool matches, but Province advanced due to a superior goal difference.
Province A’s semifinal tie against Eastern Province A will start at 13:40.
Results:
Pool A
Northern Gauteng A 1-0 Boland A
Eastern Province A 3-3 KZN Inland A
Western Province B 3-2 Eastern Gauteng
Pool B
KZN Coastal A 2-0 Southern Gauteng A
Northern Gauteng B 2-1 Border A
Southern Free State A 1-0 Western Province A
Southern Gauteng A 5-0 Border A
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