KZN Coastal A will lock horns with the defending champion, Western Province A, in the final of the SASHOC National Week at St Anne’s DSG on Saturday.
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In Friday’s semi-finals, Coastal A defeated Boland A 3-2, while Western Province edged out Eastern Province A 5-4 on penalties after their match ended in a 2-2 draw.
KZN Coastal A came into the tournament as dark horses, and while they were expected to go far, few, apart from their loyal supporters, envisioned some of the upsets that they’ve pulled off.
Province, meanwhile, was among the favourites to go all the way and win a record sixth successive inter-provincial tournament title despite not having as many high-profile names in their ranks as they have had in recent years.
Both outfits were drawn in Pool A along with Boland B, Western Province B, Mpumalanga A, and KZN Inland A.
Coastal A, led by coach Harold Siyaya, made a lukewarm start to the tournament, beating Boland B 4-1 on Monday before playing to a goalless draw with their provincial rivals, KZN Inland A.
On day two, they suffered a massive blow, losing 1-2 to Province B, which meant their remaining pool matches against Mpumalanga and Western Province A were must-win encounters.
Despite playing with that pressure, the KZN outfit made light work of Mpumalanga, beating them 5-1 before causing the biggest upset of the tournament by edging out Province A 2-1 in a match that secured them a semifinal spot. It was the Cape side’s first loss in the inter-provincial tournament since 2018.
In the final four, KZN Coastal A met Boland A, who had dominated Pool B and looked like a good bet to go all the way.
Many of Boland’s successes have been built on a foundation of a fast start, and it was no different against KZN Coastal, with Luca Jordaan striking early from a penalty corner.
That goal, however, came only after a missed penalty stroke by Coastal’s Keegan de Jager.
The KZN boys grew into the game, and captain Ryde Brisset levelled for his team on the stroke of halftime with his third goal of the tournament.
They took the lead for the first time in the third chukka when Jessie van Wyk got on the end of a well-worked team move.
Boland responded well and replied through Luka Meets, who scored with a deflected shot early in the fourth quarter to set up a tense final 15 minutes.
Both sides gave it their all, and the boys from the Western Cape had several chances to grab the lead. Two minutes from the end, though, KZN Coastal’s Tye Milne buried a penalty stroke.
With time running out and his side trailing by a goal, Boland coach Michael van Rensburg removed goalkeeper Jeandre Cilliers and added an extra outfield player, but Coastal’s defence held firm.
Boland came ever so close to snatching a late equaliser from a short corner in the dying seconds of the match, but goalkeeper Georg Wolhuter pulled off a remarkable save to seal victory for his side.
“The expectation was that Boland was the better team, and we heard a lot of people saying it,” coach Siyaya told SuperSport Schools News. “We embraced being underdogs, and the boys played some good hockey.
“I think the one thing that has been a turning point for us is just the fight and the belief that the boys have at the moment. They are in a good place where they feel like they can take on anyone
“I feel like today was one of those days where they really pushed and everyone is putting in a shift. Whether they’re asked to play five minutes or the full 15, they’re doing the job.
“We’re looking forward to the final.”
With the win, KZN Coastal A returns to the final for the first time since 2022. That year, they lost 1-4 against Western Province A before picking up a bronze medal in 2023.
In 2024, they again finished in third place, and last year they ended fifth. The last time that KZN Coastal A won the title was in 2018 under the tutelage of Keagan Pearce.
Western Province‘s journey to the final was not smooth, but they showed fight and guts along the way. Their pool record included two blemishes: a goalless draw with KZN Inland A and a loss to Coastal A.
Apart from those mishaps, coach Jody Erasmus‘s team dominated their opponents, even when they weren’t at their best.
They were pushed to the limit in the semifinal against Eastern Province A, scraping through in a penalty shootout after their clash had ended 2-2.
Province started the semifinal like a house on fire, and captain Mohlodi Maseko scored an incredible solo effort in the first chukka.
His strike was cancelled out when EP capitalised on a short corner, and Dale Jennings tapped in a loose ball to level matters.
It took until the final chukka for the game’s third goal, and it went in favour of EP.
Skipper Logan Goddard-Ford found himself in a space from a short corner variation and scored from a tap-in.
The final beckoned Eastern Province, but they lost the lead with a minute remaining.
WP was awarded a short corner and, while Maseko’s flick was kept out, Callum Anderson followed up to level matters.
The shootout was tense. Again, Eastern Province enjoyed the advantage after successful takes by James Chree, Dante Elkington, and Luke Mason.
Anderson and Maseko had scored for Western Province, but the ball struck Jacque van Dyk on one of his feet.
When Dale Jennings and Keegan Le Roux missed their attempts, the defending champs were back in the game, and Daniel de Wet made no mistake in front of Chulumanco Mkontwana to send the contest to sudden death.
Maseko and Anderson scored for WP again, and Chree converted another one for EP, but Arin Spiller then made a cracking save to deny Elkington, and Province was through to a sixth successive final.
Results
Mpumalanga A 2: Logan den Bakker, Jordan Botha. KZN Coastal B 1: Murray Wicks.
Western Province B 2: Cameron Groves, Ephram Smith. Southern Gauteng A 1: Ndyebo Pongwana
KZN Inland A 3: Ben Wilson, Henry Yeadon, Matthew Smith. Southern Free State A 2: Eben Stander, Marko Bosch.
Boland B 2: Lucien Pietersen, Rikus de Kock. Northern Gauteng A 2: Armand van der Vyfer, Kean Cornelissen.
Semifinals
KZN Coastal A 3: Ryde Brisset, Jessie van Wyk, Tye Milne. Boland A 2: Luka Meets, Luca Jordaan.
Western Province A 2: Callum Anderson, Mohlodi Maseko. Eastern Province A 2: Dale Jennings, Logan Goddard-Ford.
Fixtures
07:30 – Western Province B vs Northern Gauteng A (5th/6th playoff)
08:40 – Boland A vs Eastern Province A (3rd/4th playoff)
08:55 – Southern Free State A vs KZN Coastal B (11/12th playoff)
10:05 – Southern Gauteng A vs Boland B (7th/8th playoff)
11:15 – Western Province A vs KZN Coastal A (Final)
11:15 – KZN Inland A vs Mpumalanga (9th/10th playoff)
