South Africa's Under-21 hockey national teams put an stranglehold on the Junior Africa Cup in Namibia, hammering in a whopping 27 goals on Saturday's second day of play.
They took a giant step forward in their bid to qualify for the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile in December.
The SA U21 men beat hosts Namibia 8-0. The women were even more ruthless against Zambia, thrashing their rivals 19-0. The fourth quarter featured a remarkable eight-goal burst.
It was a relentless display that showcased both depth and discipline across the squad.
Captain Caylin Maree led by example with four goals against Zambia, while Germarie Speershott bagged a hat-trick.
They had begun their campaign with a 5-0 default victory, as Uganda failed to pitch on time for the opening match.
"We obviously were disappointed not to play Uganda. Playing Zambia, obviously to score 19 goals the girls did well," coach Cindy Brown said.
"I think there are aspects, though, that we need to work on against tougher teams, and things that we need to iron out to be successful going forward. So happy with the win but there's a long way to go.
"We've got few focus areas that we're looking to improve on in the next games, which I think will probably be a bit tougher."
South Africa's men continued their goalscoring rampage and defensive dominance with an 8-0 dismantling of hosts Namibia, who came into the match fresh off a historic first win over Egypt.
South Africa, however, proved a different level. They built on their 12-3 triumph over Zambia in their tournament opener. Carloon Mentoor was the destroyer-in-chief in that match, netting four times for the South Africans.
Jayden Brooker, named Player of the Tournament at the recent SA IPT, was simply unplayable against the hosts. He hammered home six goals, terrorizing the Namibian defence with precision and power, especially from penalty corners.
Brett Horn and Indoor World Cup bronze medallist Litha Kraai added one apiece.
"It’s been a good start to our campaign. It’s clear to see that the level of the other African nations has improved significantly since the last Afcon, which bodes well for the game on the continent and is great to see," said SA U21 men's coach Guy Elliott.
"I have been pleased with the way my team has responded to some difficult situations and made sure they have responded with some positive performances on the pitch. We were very good against a good Namibian team. Our challenge now is to be consistent in our performances throughout the rest of the week."
The South African sides are unbeaten so far in the competition. They top the table comfortably with two wins from two games, needing only a top-three finish to secure qualification for December's Junior World Cup.
Next up for the SA U21 men is Monday's match against Zimbabwe. The women will face Kenya.