Day 5 of the 2nd Africa Olympic Qualifier – being played in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – witnessed a staggering 23 goals in just three matches in the men’s competition. Kenya and Ghana were emphatic winners against Morocco and Zimbabwe respectively, but the big game of the day concerned co- favourites South Africa and Egypt, who proved themselves to be evenly matched ahead of a likely meeting in Sunday’s final.
The fixture between South Africa and Egypt had been eagerly anticipated, and the fans in the stadium were not disappointed as the two giants of African hockey played out a fascinating 2-2 draw. The result virtually guarentees that both teams will play in the tournament final, and with it have the chance to secure direct qualification for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
South Africa went ahead in the 8th minute from a Lloyd Norris-Jones deflection which stunned their opponents, but the Egyptians soon regained their composure and ended the first half strongly despite trailling 1-0. Egypt went on the offensive immediately after the half time interval , forcing the South Africans onto the back foot. Incredibly, the match was turned on its head thanks to two quickfire gials in just two minutes. The first came courtesy of a penalty corner from Mohamed Edris before Ahmed Hakim slammed home from open play to give Egypt a 2-1 lead. South Africa fought back in typically determined fashion and eventually pulled level through a ferocious penalty corner drag flick from Justin Reid-Ross. The last few minutes of the game were tense for both teams, but they held on to secure a point, much to the appreciation of a packed stadium.
Earlier in the day Kenya produced a stunning 12-1 triumph over Morocco, while Ghana were also in great goal-scoring form with a crushing 6-0 victory against Zimbabwe.
Day 6 (8th September 2011) will see the women in action as they play their final pool matches to determine who joins South Africa in Sunday’s tournament final. The two combatants will be second placed Kenya and third placed Ghana. Kenya need a draw to renew their rivalry with the South Africans on Sunday while Ghana need a win to progress. The men take a break to recuperate for their Friday thrillers.
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments feature a round robin preliminary round followed by placement matches to be played next weekend. The Olympic qualifiers will be known after the final game on Sunday, September 11.
2nd African Olympic Qualifier – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Fixtures / Results
02 September 2011
Men: Sth Africa 18 - 0 Morocco
Men: Ghana 2 - 2 Kenya
Men: Egypt 5 - 0 Zimbabwe
03 September 2011
Women: Sth Africa 9- 0 Kenya
Women: Ghana 0 – 0 Zimbabwe
04 September 2011
Men: Morocco 0 – 6 Ghana
Men: Egypt 3 – 3 Kenya
Men: South Africa 10 - 0 South Africa
05 September 2011
Women: Ghana 0 – 3 Sth Africa
Women: Kenya 2 - 0 Zimbabwe
Men: Morocco 1 – 6 Egypt
Men: Ghana 0 – 4 South Africa
Men: Kenya 4 - 0 Zimbabwe
06 September 2011
REST DAY
07 September 2011
Men: Kenya 12 - 1 Morocco
Men: Zimbabwe 0 - 6 Ghana
Men: Egypt 2 - 2 South Africa
08 September 2011
Women: Kenya v Ghana
Women: Sth Africa v Zimbabwe
09 September 2011
Men: South Africa v Kenya
Men: Ghana v Egypt
Men: Zimbabwe v Morocco
10 September 2011
Men: 5/6
Women: 3/4
11 September 2011
Men: 3/4
Women: Final
Men: Final
To view the match schedule, please click here.
