WATCH: Proteas finish 6th at CTICC
GAVE IT ALL: Proteas
The Proteas ended their Netball World Cup campaign with a 49-46 loss against Uganda in their final game of the tournament at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Sunday.
The two teams faced each other for the second time in a matter of days, after the South Africans bagged a narrow win in the previous meeting.
Uganda were certainly the better team at the start of the game and the Proteas struggled to get past their defence. But once Elmere van der Berg finally got a point for the home team, they started to push a bit more.
🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🆚![CDATA[]]>🇺![CDATA[]]>🇬
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) August 6, 2023
Hard luck. Not the result we wanted. We gave it our all, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Above all. Thank you South Africa for 𝘂![CDATA[]]>𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝘁![CDATA[]]>𝗶![CDATA[]]>𝗻![CDATA[]]>𝗴 behind the SPAR Proteas. 🙏#SPARProteas | #NWC2023 pic.twitter.com/VTxhqd6yYd
The nerves were showing for SA in their final game of the World Cup, this tournament also being the last for a few of the older players, so the emotions ran high.
The visitors seemed to be more settled held on to their lead. But Van der berg got the Proteas back to just one point behind at the end of the first quarter and levelling matters 23-all at halftime.
🗣️ "Thank you South Africa for backing us all the way." - Captain Fantastic @BongiweMsomi2 🙌![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦#SPARProteas | #NWC2023 | #PutYourHandsUp pic.twitter.com/y7tOOQfQ0c
— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) August 6, 2023
Then at 40-40 with 10 minutes to go in the final quarter the crowd got behind the home team. But was Uganda who stole the win, condemning SA to a sixth-place finish.
Australia, meanwhile, beat England 61-45 in Sunday night’s grand finale.