South Africa (SA) claimed their first victory of the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) Women’s Hockey World Cup on Sunday, mounting an impressive comeback to defeat Chile 3-2 in a tense classification match at the Wagener Stadium.

Chile gained an early lead when captain Manuela Urroz converted a penalty corner in the 13th minute. However, SA rallied strongly, with skipper Edith Molikoe restoring parity with a well-taken field goal in the second quarter.

The African champions dominated play after the halftime break to take control of the contest. Ntsopa Mokoena slotted home her second goal of the tournament to give SA the lead, before Caylin Maree finished off a swift individual run by Kayla de Waal to extend the margin to 3-1.

–ChannelAfrica–