Hockey World Cup Qualifiers: Nigeria, 14 others jostle for ticket
...Kenya team eyes S/Africa, Egypt on road to Tokyo
The fixtures for African Hockey qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 have been released. The fixture has been tagged “African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020”.
According to the fixtures, Men and Women categories are scheduled to hold from 12th -18th of August, 2019 – in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
The participating teams are listed.
Men (8)- Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Women (7)- Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
…Kenya team eyes S/Africa, Egypt on road to Tokyo
Only seven countries will contest the women’s hockey Africa Olympic qualifiers, which will be held in Johannesburg from August 12 to 18.
The Africa Hockey Federation confirmed on Saturday that Egypt will not send a women’s team, leaving Ghana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, hosts South Africa and Nigeria to fight it out for the sole ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
However, Egypt’s men’s team will compete in the qualifiers against those seven teams.
Kenya men’s team is in Pool A together with neighbors Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa, while Pool B features Egypt, Ghana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In the women’s contest, Kenya is in Pool A along with South Africa and Nigeria, while Pool B has Ghana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Uganda. The top two teams will qualify for the semifinals of the qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.
“South Africa, as hosts of the Africa qualifiers, has the upper hand. Besides, they also have a second chance at the World League. But we must believe in our own ability and that is why we want to put the best efforts in training and try to win easily,” said Kenyan men’s head coach Meshack Senge in Nairobi on Saturday.
South Africa, the sole African hockey representative at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finished second during the 2019 International Hockey Federation (FIH) men’s series finals, which gives them access to the FIH Olympic qualifiers in India later this year.
Four years ago, both Kenya men’s and women’s teams finished third in the African qualifiers for 2016 Olympics, failing to win the ticket to Rio.
