ACCC: Ugandan hockey sides take a hammering
Stunned. Sliders’ Gilly Okumu (L) and teammate Rhoda Nyambura watched by Wright-Alexis Kimberly of Kenya celebrate their third goal dubbed ‘Goal Twerking’ infront of Weatherhead players Irene Blick (L) and Aisha Kagere (2nd L) goal during Africa Cup Club Championship match on Saturday at City Park Stadium.Sliders won 6-3. PHOTO BY CHRIS OMOLLO/DAILY NATION
What you need to know:
- Hockey. To finish off a troublesome day, Wananchi men, returning to ACCC for the first time in three years came up against Kenya Police, no mean opposition, and were gunned down 2-4, before the day concluded with a tie that ended 2-2 between Sharkia of Egypt and Nigeria’s Kanda.
NAIROBI/KAMPALA.
Four Ugandan teams took part in the first day of the African Cup for Club Hockey Championships (ACCC) at City Park - Nairobi on Saturday. All four lost.
First up, after a night at Sleep Inn, were first timers Weatherhead (men), at the early hour of 08.15am but it was not until 9am and three goals down to Ghana’s Exchequers, that they woke up. Their second half was somewhat even, with two goals scored and three conceded, for a 2-6 defeat.
“We expect better. We outplayed the Ghanaians though they won the game,” player coach Vincent Kasasa, who alongside Lawrence Robin Okongo scored for Weatherhead, said.
Wananchi’s women, also on their debut appearance, could not be so optimistic; they were hammered 11-0 by a powerful and speedy Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) side.
“The thing is the defensive lines are easily broken. The Ghanaians have good speed and even when we have advantage, they force us to lose quickly,” Wananchi manager Eugene Miheso said.
Better show
Weatherhead’s women made a better show of things but still let in six goals against Kenya’s Sliders while scoring three through Sandra Namusoke (brace) and Diana Awino (flick), to go down 3-6.
At this point, in mid-afternoon, the combined Ugandan sides had let in 23 goals in three games and scored just five. One colleague likened it to a Test Cricket match; “it reads like 23 runs for the loss of five wickets at stumps of Day One.”
To finish off a troublesome day, Wananchi men, returning to ACCC for the first time in three years came up against Kenya Police, no mean opposition, and were gunned down 2-4, before the day concluded with a ‘Ladies of the Night’ tie, that ended 2-2 between Sharkia of Egypt and Nigeria’s Kanda Queens – postponed from morning to 9pm because of the latter’s late arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Innocent Mbabali and Kevin Chimwani scored Wananchi’s goals.
Earlier, Egypt’s Sharkia men showed speed, determination and an element of luck in defeating Kenyan champions Butali Warriors 2-0 with a couple of breakaway goals after soaking up lots of pressure from the hosting side.
