NSA chief Mame Diale expects Proteas to be competitive against England

The African champions currently sit fifth in the world rankings, just one place behind England, heading into the high-profile clash in the City of Gold.

Diale, who was elected to a new four-year term last year, told SABC Sport that the broader objective is to break into the world’s top four and close the gap on the leading netball nations.

“If we can break into the top four and be competitive, I would be happy because that is the ultimate goal,” said Diale. “We want to be closer to the teams above us and test ourselves to see how far we have come.”

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 The series comes after the Proteas toured England and Australia last year and marks a significant home assignment in a season where South Africa have already qualified for the Commonwealth Games, set for July and August in Glasgow, Scotland.

Diale explained that Johannesburg was selected as the host city mainly for affordability and accessibility, and she is confident of a strong turnout and a solid showing from the home side.

She expressed satisfaction with the quality of the squad and the steady progress of the sport locally, saying her hope is to see the team rise to the occasion, make the country proud and continue climbing the world rankings.

Head coach Jennifer van Dyk and her assistant Zanele Mdodana will lead an exciting Proteas squad captained by Khanyisa Chaswane, which will be tested on home soil at a venue that has previously hosted the national senior championships and the Telkom Netball League finals.

Van Dyk has welcomed the opportunity for her players to compete against one of the world’s top teams as part of their build-up to the Commonwealth Games and the 2027 Netball World Cup in Australia.

 The England series will also be the first major international assignment since the new NSA board was elected in October last year, with officials viewing it as an important opportunity to measure progress and further position the Spar Proteas on the global stage.