TNL title and relegation battles as Durban awaits

The Limpopo Baobabs are having a tough time in Division One of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) this season. After winning the promotion match last season, the Baobabs have only managed to win one match so far in the league. They find themselves sitting at the bottom of the Division One table, putting them in danger of playing in a high-pressure promotion/ relegation match again at the end of the season.

🆚 Recap all the results from 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐!

🏆 Coming up...
Power Week 3: 14-20 July (Durban)#TelkomNL #TNL2025 #TelkomStandTall @TelkomZA pic.twitter.com/KMf68vKCIN

— Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) June 18, 2025

The Emily Mathosa-led side will be hoping for a change in fortune when the league returns for the last leg. This year’s TNL will conclude in Durban from 14 to 20 July. Mathosa believes that going forward has been their main Achillies heel which they have to work on before the last round.

“I believe the defence is working well together. The problem is the attack, they just need to work on it. That is where we can fix everything,” says Mathosa.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Golden Fireballs will be the team to beat in the last round of the TNL. The 2022 champions have powered through all the group stage matches without a single loss and have set themselves as the favourites to win the 2025 title. They are the only team that has not lost a game in the competition this season.

The Joburg-based side did a double over the defending champions, the Free State Crinums, and over their provincial rivals, the Gauteng Jaguars. The Fireballs began their onslaught on the former TNL winners with an impressive 47-41 victory over the Crinums in what was a highly contested match.

This was followed by the Gauteng derby, which was set apart by the nerves in the shooting circle. Although both sides had the same number of goal attempts, it was the side led by coach Dr Elsje Jordaan that came out triumphant with a 51-47 scoreline.

Jordaan appears to have a solid working squad this season and having the experienced former Spar Proteas captain, Bongiwe Msomi seems to be coming in handy. The former Baby Proteas coach seems at ease about the last round of the competition. However, Jordaan is aware that the team still needs to work on certain aspects to go all the way.

“We are quite excited about the next leg. I think we go into the next leg with less pressure on us, knowing that we did the hard work in weeks one and two. We can now focus on refining our own game, getting our transitions right, getting our defence more clinical, and making sure that we use the ball.

"We are still building up. I think we still have a few more gears in us to go forward and up,” said Jordaan.

Host sides, the North West Flames and North West Tshukudu closed off the second Power Week on a high. Despite the Flames trailing in the first half against the Baobabs, they came back.

They frustrated the Baobabs leading to a couple of turnovers making sure the Babobabs don’t even utilise their Super Shot. The Flames turned the script and walked away as winners to the delight of their home crowd.

Tshukudu were spurred by the supporters in a tightly contested game against the KwaZulu Natal Kingdom Stars. The match ended in a dramatic 46-46 draw, which saw both sides finish in the top four of Division Two after the second round. The Western Cape Tornados are the team to beat in Division Two. They will be hoping to hold on to the top spot and make the finals again.

The Tornados last made the finals of the competition in 2023 where they lost to the Baobabs. However, both the Mpumalanga Sunbirds and the KwaZulu Natal Kingdom Stars will also be gunning for the top spot. Stars, Division Two defending champions, wrapped up the second Power Week in fourth spot with eight wins from 12 matches. The Sunbirds, who’ve been in only one final, are a point above the KZN side.

Meanwhile, the second Power Week was an acid test for Baby Proteas hopefuls. Coach Precious Mthembu and her assistant, Phumza Maweni used the five days to finalise and narrow their squad from 25 players to the eventual 15 that will represent South Africa at the upcoming Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.

South Africa have been drawn in Pool D where they will meet Fiji, Malawi, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago at the tournament set for 19 to 28 September.

Mthembu said she is satisfied with what she saw from her players throughout the whole competition and she is confident they will be able to select the best team for the World Cup.

“The whole country has had an opportunity to be part of the selection, seeing these girls and profiling them. When they see the names, there will be some surprises but they would have had the opportunity to see them.

"I am happy to have seen them step up and be able to handle the pressure. We will make sure to choose the best girls to represent us,” explained Mthembu.