The South African women's water polo team secured their best-ever world championship result when they downed Argentina 12-9 in their final group match in Fukuoka, Japan, on Thursday morning.
Both sides had lost their earlier encounters against Italy and Greece, but victory over the South Americans earned South Africa third place in the pool and a spot in the 12-team playoff.
South Africa's previous best world championship finish was 13th, which they achieved last year after losing to Argentina in their pool match by a single goal, scored in the final moments. This time the team, skippered by veteran Megan Sileno, made no mistake as they ensured they never slipped behind. They ended the first quarter level at 2-2 and then attacked hard in the second to build up a 7-5 lead.
South Africa will learn later on Thursday who they will play in the start of the play-off rounds, where third-placed teams take on sides finishing second in cross-over matches to determine who qualifies for the quarterfinals. The South African men's team, still searching for a win, play their final match against pool-leaders Spain on Friday.
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