The SA Women’s Hockey Team and the Canada Women’s Hockey Team kicked off their five match test series in front of a wonderful crowd at HS Menlopark in Pretoria. It was the first international match of 2026 for the South Africans and the atmosphere reflected the excitement of a new season and a new journey.
The match also marked senior international debuts for Laiken Brisset, TamlynKock and Casey Jean Terblanche, all three proudly pulling on the green and gold for the first time.
The opening quarter was tight and competitive with both sides settling into the contest. The SA Women’s Hockey Team created the better opportunities, with Thati Zulu and Tamlyn Kock going close, but the opening period ended goalless.
The breakthrough came in the second quarter through a moment of real quality. Ntsopa Mokoena produced a sublime pass into the circle to find Thati Zulu unmarked at the top, and the Olympian fired home to the delight of the home crowd. The South Africans doubled their advantage before half time when Kayla de Waal found herself open on the back post to finish off a brilliant counter attacking move, sending the hosts into the break 2 nil up.
The third quarter proved far more balanced as Canada increased their attacking intent and asked more questions of the South African defence. Despite the added pressure, neither side could find a goal as both teams cancelled each other out.
South Africa put the game beyond doubt in the final quarter. Thati Zulu added her second when a penalty corner was saved but not cleared. After a frenetic scramble in the circle, she reacted quickest to force the ball home for a 3 nil lead. Debutant Laiken Brisset then enjoyed a dream moment, finishing her own rebound to score her first international goal.
The scoring was completed in emphatic fashion as Ntsopa Mokoena ran onto a perfectly weighted Kayla de Waal pass and smashed the ball into the roof of the net from the left hand side, sealing a convincing 5 nil victory.
Head coach Inky Zondi was full of praise after the match.
“It’s amazing for us to play in front of a home crowd. We got great energy from the crowd and thank you to everyone that came out to support. We believe that in 2026 we can do something special for the country, including at the FIH Hockey World Cup, and this is an important first step.”
A confident opening performance from the SA Women’s Hockey Team as the series gets underway, with attention already turning to the next encounter in what promises to be a highly competitive five match series.
