Siphelele Nketo
KOKSTAD-based Shayamoya Area Secondary School maintained a 100% record in the Southern KZN Regional last Saturday, August 22 during the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Fast 5’s Netball Challenge, hosted by Kokstad College.
Eight netball teams played their hearts out in the hopes of dislodging the defending champions, but Shayamoya proved to be a tour d ’force, claiming their fifth title on the trot since this regional began in 2022. Meeting travelling team, Mthatha High School in the bookend games of the tournament, Shayamoya Area Secondary took on the Eastern Cape team in the opening fixture of the day with the score-line going in favour of the champs, 12-6. In the concluding game, the two teams clashed again in a fast-paced, exceptional final. After a fabulous intercept once Mthatha High got play under way, it took Shayamoya Area Secondary 25 seconds to bother the scorers with captain, Kwanele Lamani netting her first point of the final. At 20 seconds later, Lamani was back under the ring, slotting in her second point.
In similar fashion, Mthatha High got the second half started, but the quick-on-their-feet midfielders quickly snaffled the ball, sending it up to Sphesethu Mantambo, who got the points rolling for Shayamoya Area Secondary in the second half.
The petite centre for Mthatha High, Unako Madolo, with pitbull intentions kept persisting, feeding the ball up to her shooters. The visitors had a tough time in the Shayamoya Area Secondary circle, being closed down often by the spritely defender, Phumela Ramkoro. The Mthatha High attackers Eneya Jokozela and Buhle Noto were lucky enough to have several attempts, but unfortunately had to contend with the hard-working Ramkoro, or when they managed to bypass her, had the gusty conditions causing their aerial pursuits to go off-target.
At the final whistle, Shayamoya Area Secondary were victorious with the score-line settled on 17-8. Mthatha High, who was making a third appearance in the challenge, had to settle for their second silver in consecutive years. In their first appearance in 2024, Mthatha High finished fourth overall.
In the build up to the finals, Shayamoya Area Secondary topped the log after playing seven round-robin games. In second was Mthatha High with five wins, a draw in their last round-robin game against Kokstad College, finishing five all, and a loss in their opening fixture.
The third in the round-robin was St Thomas Residential School who won five games and lost to Shayamoya Area Secondary and Mthatha High. Rounding off the semi-finalists, King Edward High School from Matatiele claimed victory in four of their games, going down to Shayamoya Area Secondary, Mthatha High and St Thomas Residential School.
In the first semi, first-placed Shayamoya Area Secondary met fourth-placed King Edward. In a clinical performance, Shayamoya Area Secondary dominated with a win of 18-2, and stamped their ticket to the final. In the second final, Mthatha High went up against St Thomas Residential School.
In a far more determined game, St Thomas Residential School tried their hardest to earn their first regional final appearance but were just not up to it as Mthatha High managed to hold off their threats in the circle, the final score a respectable defeat of 9-6. Meanwhile, Durban Girls’ College will host the fourth challenge this weekend, from Saturday, August 29, with teams from around the Durban Central Regional meeting for a ‘play-full’ day of netball.
