SOUTH Africa took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in both the boys and girls tournaments of the Alistair Fredericks Africa Challenge u18 hockey test series in Stellenbosch on Monday.
SA's boys completed two resounding victories, beating Namibia 4-0 in their first test on Sunday and then 10-1 on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in the three match series.
Namibia's girls put up a much stronger resistance and pushed SA all the way in both matches, before losing 3-1 on Sunday and 3-2 on Monday, ahead of their final encounter scheduled for last night.
In the girls' first test on Sunday, SA did the early attacking with midfielder Anja Tromp and right wing Ntsopa Mokoena creating numerous chances with their swift onslaughts.
Namibia created some opportunities of their own with the Gillies sisters, Caitlin and Jamie, prominent in the buildups, while their youngest sister, 14-year-old Kerrin Gillies, was especially effective around the box.
Namibian keeper Jamie Henckert pulled off a great one-handed save from a Tromp shot midway through the second quarter, and a minute later Namibia took the lead when a great pass from captain Azaylee Philander put Kayla Landsberg free on goal to put the ball into the corner of the net.
Their lead didn't last long though as barely two minutes later, Mokoena got the ball in the box, dropped her marker with a deft turn, to put the ball into the net.
SA took the lead for the first time early in the third quarter when a Tromp shot was cleared by Henckert, but Jana van Antwerpen followed up to put the loose ball away.
Namibia had more chances of their own, with a Caitlin Gillies shot from a short corner going narrowly wide, but Van Antwerpen sealed the win for SA with her second goal when she stabbed in a Mokoena cross in the final quarter.
The next day, SA once again had to come from behind after Caitlin Gillies scored from a short corner to give Namibia the lead after 12 minutes.
SA immediately equalised through Malikah Hamza, scoring with a reverse-stick shot from a short corner, and took the lead when Mokoena finished off an attack by Germarie Spershott early in the second quarter.
Namibia came back strongly and after great work by Kerrin Gillies in the box, Anthea Coetzee finished off early in the third quarter to draw the teams level and ensure a tense finish to the match.
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SA had the final say when Van Antwerpen finished off an attack by Tromp at the end of the third quarter to give them a narrow 3-2 victory.
SA's boys, however, have dominated their series against Namibia so far and their clinical finishing in the set pieces proved to be Namibia's undoing in the first test.
Ross Montgomery gave them the lead from a shot corner after only two minutes, while two short corner goals within a minute by James Flint gave them a comfortable 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Flint completed his hat-trick from another short corner just before halftime to seal the match for the hosts.
On Monday, SA were even more emphatic, posting a 10-1 win, after leading 7-1 at halftime.
Flint once again starred, scoring a hat-trick, while Montgomery and captain Alex Blows scored two each, and James Seale, Sian Maart, and Moses Koopman one each.
Namibian captain JP Britz, however, scored a great solo goal, beating several defenders on a weaving run before finishing off with a great shot that gave the goalie no chance.
