Those last positions will be decided on Friday morning when the rain-delayed fixtures – Mangaung vs eThekwini and Dr Kenneth Kaunda vs Nelson Mandela Bay – are finally completed. The semifinals will then take place later the same day.
Cape Town closed their round-robin campaign unbeaten after notching up two significant victories. They opened with a 49–34 win over Tshwane before coming from behind to clinch a thrilling 54–51 victory over Mangaung. The Free State team controlled most of the match, leading 16–10 at the first break, 29–22 at halftime and 42–36 going into the final quarter. But Cape Town surged back in the final 15 minutes, outscoring Mangaung 18–9 to seal the win.
“They’re one of the strongest teams in the country, so we knew it wouldn’t be easy,” said Cape Town captain Sian Moore. “They came out firing, and we had to dig deep. Matches like these test you mentally and physically, but they also show us that no matter the situation, we can fight our way through.”
Coach Freda Kemp added that with a semifinal spot already secured before the match, she used the opportunity to test new combinations. “It gave me the chance to try a moving circle and see what else we could bring into play if needed,” she explained.
Johannesburg also booked their place in the top four after defeating Dr Kenneth Kaunda 51–46 in the morning and beating Tshwane 44–40 later in the day. The defending champions were challenged throughout their opening match, but their shooters held firm, closing with a 91% accuracy rate.
“Our shooters have been fantastic all year,” said Johannesburg coach and former SPAR Proteas captain Elsjé Jordaan. “We needed at least one win today, and getting that first one helped release a lot of pressure.”
With two teams confirmed and two still to be decided, the battle for the remaining semifinal slots now rests between Mangaung, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, eThekwini, and Tshwane.
Before their narrow loss to Cape Town, Mangaung kept themselves in contention with a 70–40 victory over Cape Winelands. Captain Reratilwe Letsoalo said the team needed a strong response after losing to Tshwane the previous day. “We told ourselves this game was our chance to fix yesterday’s errors and rebuild momentum,” she said. “Reaching the semifinals and even the final would be an honour. We’re taking it match by match, trusting the work we’ve put in.”
Dr Kenneth Kaunda stayed alive in the competition after a 61–34 win over Cape Winelands, while eThekwini bolstered their hopes with a tight 49–46 victory over Nelson Mandela Bay.
In the Under-21 A Section, round-robin play concluded with semifinal fixtures now set. Defending champions Johannesburg, who extended their unbeaten run by beating Cape Town 50–29, will face 2023 champions Tshwane. The second semi will see Dr Kenneth Kaunda take on Cape Town.