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IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Sammy Ngubane continues to rewrite netball history after Fireballs' TNL tile heroics
Olwethu Ngubane of the Fireballs shoots for goal as Martine Jordaan of the Flames defends during their Telkom Netball League clash. Ngubane was named TNL 2025 best shooter as the Fireballs went on to lift the trophy. Image: BackpagePix It has been a remarkable few months for Golden Fireballs, University of Johannesburg and Proteas goal attack Owethu 'Sammy' Ngubane. Fresh from helping guide UJ to a first USSA Netball Championships title in years, she was able to repeat the feat in the Telkom Netball League with the Fireballs. The latter triumph was achieved in remarkable fashion as the Fireballs won every match in a gruelling run of three power weeks that took them from Sun City in North West to Durban for finals week. Catching fire The weather on the KZN coast didn't always play ball, but the Fireballs ensured there would be no drop in temperature on the court. Near misses in the previous two seasons were relegated to distant memories as they buried defending champions the Free State Crinums with a stunning come-from-behind 47-40 victory at a rocking Durban ICC. The 21-year-old Sammy was central to that victory, masterminded by former Proteas coach Dr Elsje Jordaan, who was ably assisted by former Proteas and Fireballs skipper Bongi Msomi. 'First of all, it was so exciting to actually play a final this year because we had missed out in two years now – since 2022,' Ngubane told Independent Media Sport exclusively in the week after their famous win. 'We were so happy that we ended up getting what we wanted to get as a team and that our goals were ticked. 'It is kind of special, winning the title undefeated, but actually it's so much pressure on us to keep the standard going and not lose a match.' The Golden Fireballs celebrate after being crowned 2025 TNL champions with their victory over the Crinums at the Durban ICC on Sunday afternoon. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Shooting star The goal attack was a colossus, stepping up in the tense moments of Power Week 3 when her team needed her, driving them forward with key intercepts, feeds, link-up plays and goals … plenty of them. She was lethal with her shooting in the attacking circle, often hauling her team back in contests when they seemed to have hit a brick wall. It was no surprise when Ngubane was named best shooter of TNL 2025. 'Coach Elsje and coach Bongi played a huge role in my improvement for this year, playing a huge role by helping me adjust some of my skills on the court,' Sammy said. 'It wasn't good start to the year for me and coming into TNL my mindset changed and I wanted something that could boost my confidence. 'I think one the things that I have been working on myself is my shooting and I can see the improvement. From this TNL tournament, I can say I'm truly confident and ready for anything that comes my way.' Home is where heart is She was also able to feed off the crowd in the pulsating grande finale, who proved that they still have plenty of love for a former favourite daughter who made her name in KZN netball. 'I did represent KZN way back when I was young, in 2021, I think, when I was still in matric,' Sammy said. 'Obviously I made the big move to Joburg to study there and play for UJ, and also represent Gauteng. But there were a lot of things that were happening in the background in terms of do I still want to stay in KZN or do I want to change sides and go to Golden Fireballs. I think that was one of the biggest decisions that I have taken. 'But coming back home to play on home soil, it was truly a great thing to have our families see us play, but just truly letting them know that even if we changed provinces, our hearts are still at home.' Three-peat? With two titles already in the bag, Sammy is gearing up for more glory in the Varsity Cup with UJ, where she will once again team up with coach Msomi. She admits that their USSA performance, where they defied recent history of falling before the final hurdle for years, had only increased the size of the target on their backs. 'I think everyone will be gunning to play the final and get gold. I think it's huge pressure on us, obviously, after playing USSA and getting gold. Now going to Varsity Cup every one of us will have a target on our backs. 'But we are also prepared for everything that they're going to bring to us. We also focused on ourselves, on building our team and building our squad as well, so we're quite excited about it.' While it's unlikely to be a focus for Sammy, there is a chance of a rare three-peat. Given what has happened so far this fairytale season, anything is possible.
IOL News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Gauteng Fireballs scorch through first week of Telkom Netball League unbeaten
Olwethu Ngubane of Fireballs shoots for goal as Martine Jordaan of the Flames defends during their Telkom Netball League clash at the Sun City Superbowl on Saturday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix The Golden Fireballs ended the first round of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) 2025 at the Sun City SuperBowl, as the only unbeaten team, topping the Division 1 log. Defending champions the Free State Crinums are firmly in the frame. However, a shock 57-49 capitulation against invitation side the Zambezi Eagles yesterday put a damper on their title defence. The result does not count towards the log standings, though. The Eagles flew out of the blocks to lead 21-5 at the end of the first quarter and 34-15 at half-time. The Crinums slowly clawed their way back into the game, however, pulling within 13 points at the end of the third quarter. The deficit proved just too much to overcome for the Free State side in the end, as the Zimbabwean team kept their cool to secure the upset win. Crinums coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm admitted that her side had underestimated their rivals. "We had a terrible start but I'm going to take good lessons out of this," she said in her post-match interview. "After being 19 goals down and coming back and just losing by eight goals, I think the championship mentality is there. Thank God this one doesn't count. "We took a dip and it happens in a very long leg like this. And well done to the Zambezi Eagles, they came very hard at us. "We struggled a lot with their style of play. I think we adapted a little too late, so lesson learned. We learn more when we lose than when we win." The Fireballs once again showcased exceptional composure and creativity in securing a 62-57 win over the North West Flames in their last match of the first round on Saturday. They took an early lead in the first quarter and maintained that momentum. Player of the Match Owethu 'Sammy' Ngubane scored four out of four Telkom Supershots, worth two points, for the Fireballs and Caitlin du Plessis scored three for the Flames. Fireballs coach Dr Elsje Jordaan said: "Well done to the Flames, I thought they brought their A- game, and they really gave us a great match. These are the games that we need to prepare, and the fight that the players showed was tremendous." "We put a plan in place (for the Supershots), and Sammy played it well. Giving confidence to shooters is key." The Flames were able to bounce back from Saturday's defeat with a 58-56 win over the Aloes early on Sunday morning. The result consigned the Aloes to back-to-back losses. They were mauled 57-47 by the Gauteng Jaguars on Saturday. The Aloes led 12-10 in the first quarter, but the Jaguars made a remarkable comeback. Aloes coach Sameshia Esau said: "We had a good start, but the Jaguars came back strong in the second quarter. "The third quarter was the turning point, and the Jaguars dominated the last quarter. Individually, our players performed well, but we need to work on consistency and goal-shooting percentages." The Aloes are still searching for a first win of the competition. The Jaguars, last year's beaten finalists, have lost three of their six matches so far. However, they have only grown stronger as the competition has progressed. Coach Rozanne Matthyse said after the win over the Aloes: "We worked on some things, and I'm happy that we got those things done. "I knew we were going to win this game, and we pulled through. I'm happy with the performance and well done to the Aloes for giving us a good game, especially in the first three quarters." The Jaguars' defensive effort was impressive, with nine intercepts. Jamie van Wyk was named Player of the Match. Power Week 2 takes place from June 13 to 17. Southern Stings goalkeeper Entle Futshane goes airborne in an attempt to block a Crinums shot in their 53-39 loss against the reigning champions. Image: Netball South Africa
