South Africa Power Past Kenya and Zimbabwe to Qualify for World Junior Hockey World Cup

Significantly, their win over Zimbabwe mathematically guarantees the South Africa women’s ticket to the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup in Chile this December, ahead of their final group-stage fixture against their toughest opposition in Africa, hosts Namibia.

In their Easter Monday fixture, the SA U21 Women were tested for the first time in the tournament but came through with poise and purpose, defeating Kenya 4–0 to maintain their perfect start.

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Paris-Gail Isaacs, a senior Olympian, gave South Africa the ideal start with a goal in the second minute. Paige Salis added a second just before the end of the first quarter. 

Kenya battled bravely and kept the South Africans at bay for two quarters, but in the final period, South Africa broke through again. Captain Caylin Maree made it 3–nil from open play, and Germarie Speershott sealed the result with a short-corner lightning bolt of a shot in the dying minutes of the match.

In their Tuesday fixture against Zimbabwe, the South Africans opened scoring halfway through the first chukka through a Paige Salis goal from open play, followed by a long passage where neither team managed to score, before Teshawn de la Rey broke the impasse to double the score midway through the third chukka.

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Captain Caylin Maree made it three with her field goal 9 minutes in the final passage of play,  Ane Janse van Vuuren added a fourth less than a minute later, and South Africa ended their rampage with another goal by short-corner specialist Germarie Spershott a few minutes later.

South Africa remain unbeaten, unbreached, and unrelenting to date – 32 goals scored, none conceded – and are in prime position heading into Thursday’s clash against the second-placed hosts, the unbeaten Namibian team.

The tournament serves as the Africa qualifiers for the FIH Junior World Cup 2025, takes place in Namibia in April this year. The tournament initially scheduled for November 2024, was postponed allowing teams more opportunity to participate.

The SA Women are competing alongside six other African nations for the top three finishes in the tournament to qualify for the FIH Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile, in December.

Fixtures and Results of the Junior Hockey Africa Cup 2025

Friday 18 April 2025

1. South Africa 5–0 Uganda (Forfeit Result)
2. Zimbabwe 8–1 Zambia
3. Kenya 0–3 Namibia

Saturday 19 April 2025

4. South Africa 19–0 Zambia
5. Zimbabwe 0–6 Namibia
6. Uganda 0–0 Kenya

Sunday 20 April 2025 

– Rest Day –

Monday 21 April 2025 

7. Uganda 1–5 Zimbabwe
8. Kenya 0–4 South Africa
9. Namibia 11–1 Zambia

Tuesday 22 April 2025 

10. Zimbabwe 0–5 South Africa
11. 15:00 Zambia vs Kenya
12. 19:00 Namibia vs Uganda

Wednesday 23 April 2025 

– Rest Day –

Thursday 24 April 2025 

13. 9:00 Zambia vs Uganda
14. 13:00 Kenya vs Zimbabwe
15 15:00 South Africa vs Namibia

Friday 25 April 2025 

16. 12:15 3/4 Place Match – 3rd Ranked Women vs 4th Ranked Women
17. 16:45 FINAL – 1st Ranked Women vs 2nd Ranked Women

SA U21 Women Junior Africa Cup Squad 2025

Amber Fairon
Ane Janse van Vuuren
Angele Vogel
Baylee Engelke
Caylin Maree (C)
Germarie Spershott
Ifeoma Ndubueze
Jenna Blaauw
Jodie Blows
Lilly-Anne Theron
Nomsa Mzizi
Ntsopa Mokoena
Paige Salis
Paris-Gail Isaacs
Reabetswe Phume
Richele Norval
Tara Pakendorf
Teshawn de la Rey

Main Photo Caption: South Africa have qualified for the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup in Chile this December, after beating both Kenya and Zimbabwe in the Junior Hockey Africa Cup at the Davin Trustco Hockey Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia, on Monday 21 and Tuesday, 22 April, 2025. All Photos: Screenshot of the NBC Coverage on YouTube