Mangaung and Johannesburg to meet in netball final

Defending champions Johannesburg will square off against Mangaung on Saturday in the final of the Spar National Netball Championships in Rustenburg.

In the first semifinal on Friday, Johannesburg romped to a convincing 58-45 victory over Cape Winelands.

Johannesburg head coach Else Jordaan admitted her players had struggled to play in blazing heat throughout the tournament.

She was pleased, however, with how they had managed to rotate and manage the squad in the challenging conditions, with midday temperatures approaching 40 degrees.

Jordaan was confident they had enough left in the tank to retain their title.

“I looked at the players this morning, during the warm-up, and I thought they looked quite fresh for what they’ve been through, but it’s really draining,” she said.

“At half-time some of them had goosebumps all over their bodies and that’s a sign of dehydration. So it is quite hectic on their bodies, and replenishing after the games has been so important.

“It has been challenging for them but our squad looks quite fresh and I think we’ve managed them well.”

Second semifinal

Mangaung were equally dominant in the second semifinal, earning a 53-34 win over host district Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

After allowing a significant lead to slip against Johannesburg in the round robin stage, and settling for a draw, Mangaung coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm was confident they could hit back by toppling the title holders and lifting the trophy.

“It’s going to be a big one. They (Johannesburg) can play big matches,” said Mosoahle-Samm.

“But we have learned from our mistakes and we are taking with us the fact that we dominated that round robin match for 55 minutes, so we know it is possible.

“This time (in the final) if we are two or three goals up, we will definitely keep the ball.”

Cape Winelands will face Dr Kenneth Kaunda in the third-place playoff on Saturday, which will be held as a curtain raiser ahead of the trophy contest between Johannesburg and Mangaung.