Spar Proteas coach Jenny van Dyk will finally get to lead her team to the court for the first time on Thursday when South Africa takes on Malawi in the Spar Challenge.
The three-match Test Series will be held at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
Van Dyk, who was roped in as the successor of Norma Plummer in February alongside her assistant Zanele Mdodana, says the pressure is on as she intends to have a good start against the Malawian Queens.
“I put this pressure on myself regardless of anybody else. I’m not feeling any pressure from anybody else,” Van Dyk said ahead of the game.
I want a good start
“Nobody has told me that there are expectations, but I’m expecting; obviously, I want our team to have a good start.
“Both me and Zan have worked around the clock to make sure that our players are in a position where we hope to hit the ground running.
“In saying that, this is the first time we’re going to take the court, and I think it’s the unexpectedness of it and the not knowing part that can sometimes become quite a stressful thing.
“But that’s a part of the sport, and that’s also what we live on, that adrenaline of that moment.”
Eight players left from Netball World Cup team
The former youth coach also confirmed that she is currently working with half of the team that was at the Netball World Cup last year in Cape Town, with only one uncapped player in her squad.
She said: “There are only eight players left from the previous 15 that travelled to the World Cup. We already added another seven to the team that were young and up-and-coming players.
“Ané Retief is the only uncapped player, and I think everybody would agree last year when we saw her in the TNL [Telkom Netball League] and the Varsity Cup; she had some stellar performances. She’s a hard worker; she’s so fit.
“Hopefully, she gets that first cap within the next three Test Series. I’m quite excited about her. Losing Phumza [Maweni] in that goalkeeper position, we lost so much experience in that position.”
