The Maties women’s netball team successfully defended their title by winning the final of the Cape Winelands Super League recently, said Zanele Mdodana, head coach of Maties netball, via WhatsApp correspondence with SMF News.
Maties secured their seventh Cape Winelands Super League title after they beat Van Der Stel (VDS) Netball Club 53-36, in the final game where only the two teams were left, on 28 September at the Woodmill in Stellenbosch, said Mdodana.
Defending champions
The game was tough because some of the team’s key senior players were unable to take part due to injuries, said Mdodana.
However, there was a good mix of young players that had excellent performances, stated Mdodana.
Initially the team had a slow start to the game, said Nerine Koopman, captain of Maties Netball team. “But we really dug deep and managed to secure a victory,” she said.
The game went well but VDS struggled to execute their shots, said Freda Kemp, head coach of VDS Netball Club.
The Maties women’s netball team retained their seven-year Cape Winelands Super League title after they beat the Van Der Stel Netball Club in the league final on 28 September, said Zanele Mdodana, head coach of Maties Netball. PHOTO: Tapiwanashe Zaranyika
A challenging fixture
“Our coach helped us to maintain focus by encouraging us to keep pushing,” said Koopman.
The game was tough and Maties is a very strong competitive team, said Kemp. However, the score proved just how competitive both teams were, she added.
The mixture of young players within the Maties women’s netball team showed phenomenal form in the final of Cape Winelands Super League on 28 September, according to Zanele Mdodana, head coach of Maties Netball. Their victory against Van Der Stel Netball Club shows that the future of Maties Netball is in good hands, said Mdodana. PHOTO: Tapiwanashe Zaranyika
Game preparation
Maties trained for a week leading up to the match to fine tune moves and remind the team of what was expected from them during the final, said Mdodana.
The team had been having a difficult season, according to Koopman. “We used the game as motivation to prove to ourselves that we had what it [took] to retain our title,” said Koopman.
“Many people came out to support the teams, and the venue was packed which was an amazing sight to see,” said Kemp.
The Maties women’s netball team played very well in the recent Cape Winelands Super League finals, despite not having all their key players in their match against Van Der Stel Netball Club on 28 September, according to Nerine Koopman, Maties captain. PHOTO: Tapiwanashe Zaranyika