Windhoek: Namibia women's outdoor hockey head coach Trevor Cormack has praised his side's performance despite a 4-0 defeat to South Africa in the opening match of the International Test Series, saying the team's limited preparation and the number of debutants made the display particularly encouraging.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Namibia lost to South Africa on Sunday in Cape Town in the opening fixture of the series, which runs from 20 to 24 July 2026. The series forms part of Namibia's preparations for the 2027 African Games in Cairo, Egypt.

'I thought it was really good. It's a great performance considering the debutants we have in the team, the fact that we've only been really prepping for a month or two,' Cormack said in an interview shared with the media via WhatsApp on Monday. 'I was quite impressed with the fact that playing against the number one team in Africa, going to the World Cup, and you're only 16 and 17 years old, I thought they handled the pressure very well,' he added, highlighting the performances of about 10 young debutants.

Cormack said the performance was an encouraging indication of what the team could achieve at next year's African Games. 'It's a really good indicator of what I think we can achieve going into the Africa Games next year,' he said. Looking ahead to Tuesday's second Test, Cormack said the challenge would become even greater after the standard set in the opening encounter against Africa's top-ranked side.

Goalkeeper Petro Stoffberg admitted the opening stages of the match were nerve-wracking but described the contest as a valuable experience. 'It was nerve-wracking at first, because we haven't played South Africa in quite a while. We didn't know what to expect, because it's a strong team that's preparing for a World Cup, and they outrank us by far,' Stoffberg said. She also commended Namibia's young debutants, expressing confidence in the future of the national team. 'I think Namibia has an amazing future ahead,' she said.