13 September 2023
Westville Boys’ High wrapped up the indoor hockey season this past week on a high note, with their 1st team defeating a supremely talented DHS line-up to win the title in the open age group, while their under-16A side finished as runners-up, and the under-14A team placed third.
It was a strong showing from a school that has an enviable pedigree in the indoor game…and the field hockey game, to be accurate.
Earlier this year, when South Africa hosted the FIH Indoor World Cup, the school had two representatives in the BlitzStoks line-up, with goalkeeper Bonga Mngoma in the playing squad and Westville Director of Hockey, Cam Mackay (a Northwood Old Boy, it should be mentioned), doing duty as an assistant coach. Pinnacle Schools had a chat with both to discuss the experience and, in Bonga’s case, the influence that his coaches at Westville had on him.
He was just 19-years-of-age at the time of the World Cup, quite an astonishing achievement. And it all began at Westville, where his first coach was Jarryd Jones, who played for the national team.
“He taught me a few things, in terms of how to handle the game, how to control the tempo, because the transition going from outdoor hockey to indoor hockey is very different,” Bonga said. “It gave me an opportunity to be more comfortable, and then back my ability, which allowed me to grow more in the sport.”
Indoor hockey really works for him, he added, because the goalkeepers are such an integral part of the game, always involved, whereas in field hockey, especially in a good team, there can be long periods of time when the goalie is inactive.
Crucial impact
If it wasn’t for Cam Mackay, Bonga said, he wouldn’t have been at the World Cup. He explained: “Having a coach like Cam Mackay is something that I will treasure as long as I am alive. He allowed me to go to the men’s provincial trials, which resulted in me playing men’s provincial hockey. He was my first provincial men’s coach, which enabled me to grow. That’s how I came onto the radar for the SA men’s squad.”
For Mackay, his own ascension to the national team had been about being willing to take on any challenges and to always be available to do what was being asked. It was also about being able to produce results, even when the odds appeared stacked against him.
For example, the first year he coached a provincial team. “I got involved with the Mynahs. We had always had enough depth. The Mynahs were always a top side, but they, maybe, needed to be a bit more professional. I hadn’t coached a year yet, and then Ryan Hack [the KZN Raiders coach] got called by his business to go to China for three weeks, so he had to miss IPT,” he recalled.
Topsy-turvy beginnings
“I went from the Mynahs’ coach to the Raiders’ coach. Four or five guys had pulled out, as well, so we almost had the Mynahs team go to IPT, barring Greg Last and Jarryd Jones. I think they were the main two Raiders players left over. Then, Keegan Hezlett was a young guy, and he was making a name for himself.
“We had the IPT in Cape Town, and we played Namibia in our first game. We lost, 9-5, I think. We didn’t play too well. But we ended up winning that IPT, somehow. We played Southerns in the final and beat them 6-1. We went from strength to strength, a really close group. The boys bought in to what I was saying so well. That was the start of it.”
A litany of twists and turns
There was a litany of twist and turns that brought him into the national fold, and along the way there was also a cancelled World Cup in 2021, when Covid-19 stopped the event being held in Belgium. Then South Africa was awarded the event.
“We got the World Cup at the last minute, which was great, because we probably wouldn’t have been able to get the funding together properly,” Mackay admitted. “Guys would have been asked to pay, and it wouldn’t have worked out.
“We didn’t know about it long in advance, but we knew early enough to train and get some prep in.”
Warm up games were played against Kazakhstan and New Zealand which, it turned out, were not ideal as they were two of the weaker teams at the World Cup. Had the BlitzStoks played some of the top sides, Mackay believes they might have been able to reach the semi-finals.
“It was a crazy experience. I enjoyed every bit of it. Definitely memories I will cherish for life,” Bonga, who backed up Anton van Loggerenberg in goal, said.
“We knew we were playing on home soil, our home crowd. We had to broadcast what we can produce here in South Africa, the brand of hockey we can play. I think we did that pretty well. We came sixth, which is South Africa’s highest ever finish in indoor hockey. It’s something we’re really proud of.” Previously their best finish had been 10th. They had finished 11th on three other occasions.
“A big learning curve”
Cam Mackay commented: “A big learning curve for me was doing all the subs and tactical chats at the World Cup, which was cool. But, at the start, like when we played Namibia, it was a five-on, five-off [substitution], but we learnt quickly that we have to have our best team on the field for as long as possible.
Reflecting on the South African game when compared to the other sides they faced at the World Cup, he said: “I think we base ourselves on the European-type press, and I think our pressing is very similar to the Europeans. But I think when we counter-attack, we are up there with some of the best in the world. It’s so nice to have the Cassims [Mustapha and Dayaan] in our line-up.”
Bonga said the crowds made for an unforgettable experience: “It was something I remember well. With the crowd, you couldn’t hear yourself, you couldn’t hear your team-mates speaking to you. It was perfect!
Mackay recalled the chaos and excitement of South Africa’s quarterfinal against The Netherlands, who would ultimately finish as runners-up to Austria after a penalty shootout.
“The Dutch game was on another level. At stages, when we were 6 vs 6, and we started scoring our goals, I was screaming to people, and no one could hear a thing.
“Hats off to our guys, because they all knew exactly what they were doing. No one backed down. Those are still five minutes that I will always treasure. We were so good for that time. It was incredible.”
A huge motivation
For Bonga Mngoma, now 20, the possibility of more Indoor Hockey World Cups, are a huge motivation. He’s ready to put in the hard yards and to take advantage of the experience of the 2023 World Cup.
“I gained so much out of that World Cup experience. I didn’t play most of the games, but I was sitting on the side and watching. There were some lessons I took from those games, and they helped me to improve,” he said.
“I’m going to stay on my grind, try to keep the coaches happy, and try to keep my name in their minds and on the radar.”
And for Cam Mackay, he’s going to keep Westville challenging the best teams in the country in field and indoor hockey, and he’ll keep his passion for coaching and the indoor game moving along, quietly working to get the best out of the players under his watch.
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