The group stages of the Netball World Cup are wrapping up, and while the Spar Proteas are still in with a mathematical chance of reaching the play-offs with two matches ahead of the final four, an arduous road still lies ahead at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
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This evening will see the host nation take on the defending champions, and a win over New Zealand tonight would go a long way towards securing a spot in the semis for Bongi Msomi’s troupe.
However, there are no guarantees, and fans have been forced to whip out their calculators to determine what needs to take place in the tournament for South Africa to keep their title hopes alive.
The Proteas had an ideal start to their campaign, with impressive victories over Wales and Sri Lanka, before their hopes were dashed on Sunday when an inspired performance by the Sunshine Girls from Jamaica cast their trophy prospects into doubt.
They then returned to their winning ways against Trinidad and Tobago in their ‘Super Six’ encounter on Monday, trumping their opponents by a convincing 69-28 margin.
While this result may have put the spring back in their step, they will be only too aware of the challenge that awaits them this evening.
The Silver Ferns will be heavily favoured when they return to the court for their fifth outing, having reached this point in the competition undefeated.
They may have survived a scare against Uganda but eventually managed to beat their African opponents.
Now, with matches against New Zealand and Uganda still to come, the Proteas will be hoping for back-to-back wins in order to finish second in their group and earn a place in the play-offs.
However, with opponents of such high calibre, this will be no small feat, and the thought of falling just short will be hanging over them tonight.
Tonight’s fixture between South Africa and New Zealand will get underway at 6pm this evening.
for Cape Town ETC.
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Featured Image: Netball South Africa
