SuperSport Schools News | SA U17 girls claim gold in Zimbabwe

On Aug 19, 2026

The South Africa U17A girls’ team made a triumphant return home following a gold medal-winning performance at the Zimbabwe Junior Hockey Series, which concluded on 16 August in Harare.

The U16A and U16B teams also gave a good account of themselves as South Africa’s three teams won two events and also claimed a runner-up finish.

The U16A side received the silver medal in the U18 section, losing to the SA U17 team in the final, while the U16B team won gold in the U16 section.

The Zimbabwe series completed a run of medals that was started by the SA U18A team on 14 August. They finished third at the U21 Women’s Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha, where they won four of their five matches.

The SA u17A team collected two of the three individual awards at the Zimbabwe Junior Hockey Series. Alanda Rademeyer, who produced a performance for the ages in the final, took home the Player of the Tournament award, while Victoria Johnson was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.

“I am proud of the way the girls represented South Africa on and off the field. This was a true squad effort, with every player contributing to the team’s success in some way,” Omari Pienaar-Geyer, the SA U17 head coach, told SuperSport Schools News.

The U17 side was extended in their opening match, but came away with a tight 1-0 win over Namibia U18A. They escaped with a 2-1 win over SA U16A in their next outing after making a slow start. Then, in their third match, they beat Zimbabwe U18A 2-0.

They encountered a determined SA U16A side in the final, with a back-and-forth contest providing the spectators with great entertainment. The match finished 2-2 after regulation time before the U17A side triumphed 6-5 in a penalty shootout.

“The SA U16A team played excellent hockey and really pushed us,” Pienaar-Geyer said. “There are some very exciting young players coming through the ranks, which is extremely encouraging for South African hockey.

“The future of SA hockey is bright, with talent and depth evident across both age groups.”

Pienaar-Geyer was impressed by her team’s performance, given they had only limited preparation time for the series. Despite those limitations, her charges showed great willingness to learn, and they made it look as if they had been playing together for years, while improving game by game.

“Our main focus was getting systems, structures, and combinations in place as quickly as possible. The players showed great adaptability, commitment, and willingness to learn in a short space of time,” Pienaar-Geyer said.

She also said the U17A team’s successes were a team effort, pointing to her coaching staff’s contributions.

“A massive shoutout and thank you to Illse Davids, my assistant coach, and Nonnie Mtolo, our manager, for their contributions. We make a great team behind the team,” she said.

CS Chiwanza is a former poet and now a full-time storyteller of Southern African sports. He jokes that those who can’t do a thing well enough either teach or write. He knows the right way to hold a cricket bat and the right grip for the wobbleball, but can’t do either well enough to be picked for a good team. So he writes. However, he mastered the best dart grip and spends hours stat-padding against his wife and kids.