GIBRALTAR: Led by coach  Mthembu they triumphed in all six matches at the regional Africa World Cup qualifiers held at the University of Pretoria

By Sports Reporter

The Baby Spar Proteas have clinched their spot in the finals of the Netball World Cup, set to take place in Gibraltar next year.

Led by coach Precious Mthembu, the Baby Proteas triumphed in all six matches at the regional Africa World Cup qualifiers held at the University of Pretoria.

Their latest victory came against Namibia, with a score of 61-25, securing one of the three coveted World Cup slots at the seven-team tournament. The victory over Namibia to extend their unbeaten run to six matches in the competition. Namibia enjoyed a rest day on Wednesday while the Baby Proteas were high in confidence following their win against Malawi on Wednesday night.

South Africa have so far been the most consistent and tactically disciplined of all the teams and they continued on that trajectory as they worked tirelessly to clinch the  first quarter 17-4.

Mthembu had earlier indicated that her players were taking some strain due to a series of back-to-back games and it was showing in this match. However, the team soldiered on to extend their lead (33-9). In the championship quarter, South Africa made a few substitutions to inject some fresh legs into the game.  They remained solid in defence throughout the match and eventually took the spoils 61-25. “We had a pretty slow start to the game; you could see that the girls really took a beating – the bodies and legs are growing tired. Good thing we have a rest day tomorrow so we can recover. I am grateful that we had a good win and want to congratulate Namibia for a good game as well.

“I hear people are saying that we have already qualified for the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 in Gibraltar, but we still have one more game to play over the weekend. For now our feet are firmly on the ground,” said Mthembu post-match. In the second match of the day, Malawi beat Zambia 54-35.

The final match saw Namibia, who earlier lost against South Africa, secure a thrilling last-second 44-44 draw against Kenya after trailing for the better part of the game

Mthembu expressed immense joy and pride in her team’s consistent performance throughout the tournament, visibly moved by their remarkable achievement.  ‘’As a junior head coach, it is one tick for me in a box, but I just need to go back and see where I can learn some things when it comes to decision making. It’s exceptional that the girls have put in a good fight to maintain the top of the log with a high goal difference,’’  said Mthembu.

Even though securing qualification, Mthembu remains resolute in his quest to conclude the tournament on a high note by claiming a gold medal in Saturday’s showdown against Malawi.

‘’I think on Saturday will be the day where it all really matters, whether we get gold or silver but I’m positive with how the girls are playing,’’ added Mthembu.  The Baby Proteas felt the strain of playing six matches in five days, evident in their fatigue during the latter stages against Namibia.

However, a silver lining emerged as they were granted a much-needed rest day on Friday to recuperate and gear up for the ultimate showdown against Malawi.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Mthembu expressed that the team’s victory was dedicated to assistant coach Phumza Maweni who had to leave camp following a family bereavement. ’Condolences to her family, losing a mother is not an easy thing. The girls did mention that they will play for her and apply eve[1]rything that she has taught them,’’ said Mthembu. Mthembu faces the remainder of the tournament.

Mthembu faces the remainder of the tournament without her second-in-command, acknowledging the significant absence of Maweni on the touchline.  Maweni’s presence will be sorely missed with two games of the competition remaining.  ‘’I need to step up as a coach and make sure that I cover everything else, her role in the team will be missed but I will keep in contact with her,’’ added Mthembu.

Mthembu contends that Malawi challenged her team to their limits in a match she had earmarked as their toughest test of the tournament. ‘’They didn’t step back, if they had enough time – I think the score would be more,’’ she concluded.

It’s anticipated that South Africa and Malawi will clash in the final this Saturday, having secured the top two positions on the leaderboard.  Mthembu is gearing up to confront their formidable physical prowess.

RIA FIRES ANOTHER SALVO AT SAFA

FRAUD ALLEGATIONS: Former vice president calls on FIFA to intervene and get the relevant people to normalise the federation

By Sports Reporter

Former SAFA vice-president Ria Ledwaba has called on FIFA to intervene amidst the fraud allegations against the local football motherbody, arguing that the case is a violation of the FIFA Governance Regulations.

The Hawks Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation unit raided SAFA’s headquarters in Johannesburg on 8 March, with allegations of fraud and theft amounting to R1.3 million, pinning SAFA president Danny Jordaan at the centre of this investigation. The local football mother body had declared Ledwaba a ‘persona non-grata’ within the organisation in a letter dated 06 March and then withdrew that decision on Tuesday night after Ledwaba’s attorneys sent them a cease-and-desist letter.

Ledwaba says SAFA’s decision to ban her from football was defamatory and demands a public apology from the association. “The one thing that I want them [attorneys] to write to SAFA and ask for an apology. I want a public apology, they have to apologise to me, apologise to South Africans, apologise to African people, apologise to the world that they’ve made a mistake.

They must go there and apologise. I want that apology, if I do not get that apology, they have defamed me. I’m being portrayed as someone who is hungry for power, someone who is angry because I lost the election, that’s what they put in the letter and nowhere in my dispute have I ever spoken about the election, whether somebody won or not, I’ve never,” Ledwaba was quoted in the local media.

Ledwaba has had an ongoing legal battle with SAFA that started after she challenged the federation’s President Danny Jordan for presidency of the local football motherbody.

She had raised concerns of irregularities in the amendment of the constitution leading to the SAFA Elective Congress, a case she lost at the South Gauteng High Court Division. Ledwaba says she’s concerned about the governance and not losing the elections. Calling on FIFA to intervene, she said: “When an organisation has total collapse of governance, and when an organisation mismanages the funds, FIFA would come and normalise them [the association],” said Ledwaba.

“They’ve done it in a number of federations, where they appoint individuals in the country – obviously, doing their own research to get the relevant people to normalise the federation, and then they will have proper elections and all that.  

“But I’m saying, the first thing FIFA must do is to look at the constitution of SAFA – does it really serve the purpose of football, or does it serve the purposes of an individual who puts things there and changes the constitution.   “I don’t know how many times that constitution has been changed. Where have you ever seen a constitution that’s being changed every time just before elections?”    

In July last year, the FIFA Council lifted a suspension imposed on the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) in February 2022 and appointed a normalisation committee with immediate effect.   The duties of the committee included running the daily affairs of ZIFA, restructuring their administration and reviewing the federation’s Statutes and Electoral Code to ensure its compliance with the FIFA Statutes, while ensuring its adoption by the ZIFA Congress.  

Speaking about the SAFA letter she said:   “I wasn’t entirely surprised because SAFA can do the unbelievable. I just read it and questioned a lot of things on the letter,” she added.  

“Who took that decision? What informed their decision? Because they were raising the court issue, and I know we have given notice to them that we are appealing [the earlier High Court outcome], and they gave notice that they are opposing my appeal.   

 “So if somebody gives notice to oppose, why would they refer to the judge in their letter as if they are praising the outcome so much as a finality?”   Meanwhile, former South African Football Association (SAFA) CEO Gay Mokoena has commended CAF on how they are handling SAFA’s raid by the Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit.  

Mokoena says he’s impressed with Patrice Motsepe’s leadership at CAF.     ‘’I’m very impressed with CAF, particularly under the leadership of Dr Motsepe. This is one of the first few issues that I have seen CAF standing up to request for a factual report, so they can get a broader picture,’’ said Mokoena.   In 2020 Mokoena, alongside former SAFA vice-president William Mooka, wrote a letter to FIFA to complain about Jordaan’s leadership at SAFA, the letter also included accusations of misappropriation of funds stating that the president was using the organisation’s funds for personal gain.  

Mooka also opened a criminal case against Jordaan that same year that led to the recent raid. Mokoena says they never heard back from FIFA.