Delaine Mentoor is the current head coach of the South African women’s team.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she was the first female head coach to lead a team at an Olympic Games, and her team, South Africa, was the first African women’s team to participate in the Olympics.
Earlier this year, her South African side finished thirteenth at the World Championships in Budapest, with an incredible 8-7 victory over Brazil in the classification match.
Delaine Mentoor’s Top 5 of 2022
1. Maddie Musselman (USA)
United States National Team Player/Club: UCLA /Position: Wing
She was outstanding in her performance at the 2022 FINA World Championships and seemed to only peak in the final against the hosts scoring 5 out the 10 goals for the USA, more importantly, it was the goals she scored in crucial moments in that game. She plays with discipline in her movements and her execution. She speaks to it, it is calm and well thought out.
2. Ashleigh Johnson (USA)
United States National Team Player/Club: Ethnikos / Position: Goalkeeper
An Integral role player in her team’s gold medal finish at World Champs, she denied goals from some of the world’s best shooters in situations where we thought it was given goals. Her contribution is not only defensively, but her precise placing of the ball to her players on counterattacks and her guidance throughout the game noticeable and influential in their success.
3. Simone van de Kraats (NED)
Netherlands National Team Player/Club: Mataro/ Position: Wing
An incredible athlete, her execution and ability to find angles in what seems to be a well defended goal area, in my opinion, puts her right up there with the world's best, especially given how the best teams in the world struggle to shut this left hander down. She is definitely a player who is going to continue to make a name for herself.
4. Rita Keszthelyi (HUN)
Hungary National Team Player/Club: Mataro/ Position: Driver
She is just an absolute force who never seems to stop working and forces the opposition to adapt defensively. Her experience is shown in vital moments along with her continuous guidance to her teammates. In my opinion she has had an incredible year.
