Precious Mthembu impressed with Baby Proteas 2025 Youth World Cup finish

South Africa are now ranked fourth in the world rankings after losing 55-35 to England in the bronze medal match.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Mthembu says she is happy that her players displayed maturity and represented South Africa with pride on the world stage.

"I’m extremely proud of this group of the Spar Baby Proteas. They showed incredible growth, built sisterhood and fighting spirit throughout the tournament," said Mthembu.

"From the preparations in South Africa to the final matches, they displayed maturity and hunger to represent the country with pride which was so easy to work with."

Mthembu adds that they have set a commendable benchmark for the next generation of the South African U21s, and believes they will perform even better in the next Youth World Cup in 2029.

“It’s an unbelievable milestone and one we should cherish for a long time in the netball space," she added.

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"Making it to the semifinals for the first time is not only a win for this group, but also for the South African netball family, Netball sponsors and all those who believe in the game as a whole. 

"The amount of effort put in by the technical team behind the scenes is incredible. I think we have set a new benchmark for the next teams to build on."

The 41-year-old mentor further praised team captain Phophi Nematangari for her sound leadership and contribution throughout the tournament.

“Her leadership on and off the court has been exceptional. She leads by example and always finds ways to lift her teammates.

"She’s shown a level of maturity that inspires other girls in the team. Her influence has been one thing that led the team to do well.

"The girls respected her and she worked so well with her vice captain Karla Victor and I am impressed on how they have inspired young netball players out there," Mthembu concluded.