Proteas Under-21 coach Precious Mthembu relishes her biggest test

By Charles Baloyi
15th March 2024

The moment of truth has finally arrived for South Africa’s Under-21 netball team and their coach, Precious Mthembu.

The young Proteas are gearing up for a crucial journey towards securing a spot in the World Cup Youth World Cup in Gibraltar 2025.

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The Africa regional qualifiers, scheduled from Sunday to Saturday 23 March at the University of Pretoria, will witness South Africa, along with Malawi, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, competing for the two coveted qualifying positions.

Kicking off their campaign against Tanzania at 12 pm, the baby Proteas are determined to secure their passage to the global showcase.

Following their match, Zimbabwe will face Kenya at 2 pm, followed by a showdown between Malawi and Kenya at 4 pm, preceding the grand opening ceremony at 5.30 pm. South Africa will return to the court for another intense battle against Zambia at 7 pm.

Mthembu, who succeeded Van Dyk, now serving as the head coach of the Proteas senior national team, is encountering her greatest challenge yet in leading the team to the World Cup.

“I’m prepared for this important challenge ahead, and the team is enthusiastic about our goal of qualifying for the World Cup. Naturally, I’m feeling a bit nervous, but that’s to be expected. We can’t afford any mistakes, as reaching the finals is crucial for qualification. Our ultimate aim is to win the tournament, and having the advantage of playing in front of our home supporters adds to our motivation,” Mthembu said during her interview with SABC Sport.

“We’ve had more time to organize camps and focus on key aspects, and now it’s our moment to showcase our capabilities on the court. The team is motivated and fully cognizant of the significance of the upcoming challenges. While we approach every opponent with respect, we recognize Malawi as our primary challenge,”

Mthembu, who previously coached Kingdom Stars in the Telkom Netball League, now faces her greatest challenge yet; guiding the young Proteas to the World Cup. This long-awaited moment has finally come, and Netball South Africa has placed their trust in her to lead the team on this crucial journey.