The National Netball Championships in Johannesburg delivered an exciting day at the Ellis Park Arena on Thursday, with the same four teams as last year booking their spots in the semi-finals.

Two-time defending champions Johannesburg, topping the log due to superior goal difference over Mangaung, will face Dr Kenneth Kaunda from Potchefstroom. Meanwhile, Mangaung will battle Cape Winelands in the other semi-final clash.

Johannesburg secured their semi-final spot with two victories on Thursday, defeating Cape Winelands 56-43 and Nelson Mandela Bay 54-40.

Coach Elsjé Jordaan expressed her satisfaction with the team's performance during the round-robin stage.

“We’re very happy – just to build that winning culture that we’re used to. It took a lot of hard work. We had to dig really deep. There are some tired bodies, but now the tournament starts all over again,” Jordaan said.

Panashe Chiranga and Chrisley Marshall - Reg Caldecott

Jordaan emphasized the need for a stronger start as the team heads into the knockout rounds.

“We’ve got a few inexperienced players playing at this level for the first time, and you can see it at the start. They have to grow up. We turn a lot of ball but don’t get the reward with the score. We need to improve our percentages,” she explained.

Mangaung, who are the only team have beaten Johannesburg, finished second on goal difference after a strong showing on Thursday. They beat eThekwini 63-31 and edged Dr Kenneth Kaunda 44-41 in a tight match.

The Mangaung coach, Martha Mosoahle-Samm, was pleased with her team’s resilience.

“These are the types of games we really train for. We have to test ourselves when we are under pressure, and I’m quite pleased with how we kept the ball even under immense pressure. It shows we are ready for the semi-final,” she said.

Mosoahle-Samm acknowledged the tough semi-final matchup against Cape Winelands, the only team to beat them this week.

Sunel Smit - Reg Caldecott

“The girls know we slipped up against them earlier in the week. I think it’s a good semi-final for us – just to go and rectify all the mistakes that we made.”

Cape Winelands secured third place on the log with a decisive 56-35 win over eThekwini after a loss to Johannesburg earlier in the day. Dr Kenneth Kaunda claimed the final semi-final spot despite three tournament losses, including a narrow defeat to Mangaung.

Cape Town's hopes of making the semi-finals were dashed after a surprising 52-54 loss to Tshwane.

In the Under-21 division, defending champions Tshwane advanced to the semi-finals, where they will face Dr Kenneth Kaunda. Hosts Johannesburg will take on Cape Town in the other semi.

Semi-finals:

11:30 - Johannesburg vs. Dr Kenneth Kaunda

13:00 - Mangaung vs. Cape Winelands

Morgan Piek OFM Sport