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"Final would mean...": Anneke Bosch reflects on South Africa's objective at World Cup 2025

Shreyasi

South Africa team [Source: X/@gsport4girls]South Africa team [Source: X/@gsport4girls]

The remarkable South Africa became the second team to qualify for the semi-final of the Women’s World Cup 2025 with two league game still to play. Their consistency in ICC tournaments in recent years has been impressive. Batter Anneke Bosch felt that the consistent good performances at big tournaments would help them reach their maiden ODI World Cup final.

South Africa ready for next challenge against Australia

South Africa reached the semi-finals of ODI World Cup in 2017 and 2022 and T20 World Cup of 2020 and 2023. They were also runners-up at the T20 World Cup last year. Their performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup makes them one of the favourites of the tournament. South Africa will play their last league game of the competition against Australia at the Holkar Stadium on Saturday and the winner will take on India in the first semi-final in Navi Mumbai.

Batter Anneke Bosch explained how consistency in big tournaments has helped the team do well in the ongoing ODI World Cup. She said,

“We've been really good at being consistent in big tournaments, and different players doing well at different stages of the tournament. It's just something that works for us when we get to tournaments like these and motivates us to do well. Reaching a couple of semi-finals in the [recent] past just gives us more confidence.”

She was further quoted by Espncricinfo,

“But now obviously we want to take it one step further because in the ODI World Cup, we haven't [reached the final] before. So, it would mean a lot to us - and that's what you compete for and what you're here for - to make it to the final and, hopefully, lift the trophy. The fact that we have participated in a couple of semifinals now just helps us to deal with that pressure.”

Anneke Bosch on winning culture of South Africa

The core team of South Africa has been intact for last couple of years. Twelve players in the current World Cup squad have been part of the T20 World Cup squads in 2023 and 2024.nBowlers Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Tumi Sekhukhune and Nonkululeko Mlaba have been the mainstays the national side since the 2022 ODI World Cup. Boch, speaking of the same, opined,

"It's a combination of a lot of things. We are a massive sporting nation and we love to play for the country, and make the country and the people back at home proud. [A key factor is] our resilience and the way we come together as a country in big tournaments like these. We play for each other and we play for people back at home."

Despite being consistent in the tournament, South Africa’s final group-stage match will not be easy one. They will be facing Australia and the result will decide their semi-final opponents. In 18 ODI matches so far, Australia have won 17 with South Africa managing to win just 1.