Uganda in favourable draws for hockey Nations Cup

Women

Pool A: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uganda

Pool B: Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia

Men

Pool A: South Africa, Namibia, Kenya

Pool B: Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda

Uganda's women hockey team got the draw of their dreams on Tuesday ahead of the January 17-23, 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Accra, Ghana.

The Hockey She Cranes have been drawn against favourites and six time winners South Africa plus Namibia and Zimbabwe.

In fact they open with early morning matches on January 17 and 18 against Namibia and Zambia respectively then close the pool with a late evening showdown with South Africa on 20th.

Nothing is guaranteed but since the best two per group progress to the semifinals, Uganda have rode their luck to avoid a Kenyan side that tormented them at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Bi-Nation Series in Nairobi in March and perhaps Ghana who pipped Kenya to second place at the last Nations Cup in 2017.

Zimbabwe won the first women's Nations Cup in 1990 but have been falling further away from current giants South Africa since while Namibia are ranked fourth on the continent.

"I think the women's team's are evenly balanced although you might want to avoid South Africa," team manager Bridget Baine said prior to the draw on Monday night's prime sports show NTV Press Box.

Coach Moses Nsereko believes his side "will have to fight and leave everything on pitch to make the next round" in all three games.

Group of death

The men are in the group of death against Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria in Pool B

Egypt and South Africa are sides any other men's team on the continent would want to avoid but you are always guaranteed to get one. Ghana and Nigeria's west African derby is the biggest reason why Pool B is consider tight.

Ghana rank third on the continent while Nigeria is still somewhat an unknown quantity ranking 6th. But apart from their consistency in appearing at this level, there is not much to separate them and Uganda in terms of exposure and experience.

In fact coach Vincent Kasasa's troops will look at their FIH Series against Kenya, who have always rivalled Ghana on the continent, for inspiration. Going by the FIH Series, Uganda will feel hard done by the draw not giving them another chance against Kenya but it is also okay to avoid a cross-border rivalries at this level.