Devon van der Merwe leads SA into Nations Cup semifinal

The hosts looked set for victory when midfielder Calvin Davis converted a penalty corner to give South Africa a 3-2 lead with less than three minutes remaining. However, Ireland struck late to earn a share of the spoils.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, van der Merwe praised his team’s performance but admitted they need to improve their game management when protecting a lead.

“We said it was going to be a cracker, and it was a cracker - a very entertaining game from the boys. I’m so proud of how the team played tonight. Just disappointed that we didn’t see more goals. Having said that, as fast as we scored, we also conceded. We need to look at that going into the next match.

“Now we need to go back and relook at how we defend and manage the game, but we’re very happy to go through to the semi-final,” said van der Merwe.

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South Africa’s point from the draw was enough to secure second place in Pool A behind France.

Captain Dayaan Cassiem expressed pride in the team’s performance against an experienced Irish outfit and believes their defensive effort was a key factor in securing qualification.

“Firstly, thanks to the crowd for coming out. It was a sold-out affair. Of course, it wasn’t a win, but the draw was good enough to take us into the semi-final. We look forward to it and are excited for the semis. Please come out in numbers to support us again.

“The Irish team is a really good side. They have played many international matches and are very experienced. They put us under pressure, but we showed up and defended very well. In the end, we got the draw. We needed a draw or a win to reach the semis. They were brilliant against us, but at the end of the day we got the job done. Onto the semi-finals.”