ZIMBABWE hockey club champions Hippo Valley are aiming at improving their 2012 performance in the Hockey Africa Cup of Club Champions which start tomorrow at Kumalo Hockey Stadium.
THANDIWE MOYO SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The tournament will see 19 teams from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Egypt and three from Zimbabwe- Hippo Valley, Eradicators and Bulawayo Athletic Club, taking part in the competition.
“Our goal this year is to improve on our performance of two years ago.
“We finished fourth in the same tournament two years ago and we want to better that and get a medal. “Playing at home and having a home crowd rally behind us will lift our confidence a bit more,” said Tongai Mukwekwa, the Hippo Valley coach.
He said being the Zimbabwe champions would also help boost the team’s confidence going into the tournament.
Mukwekwa said his side is drawn in the ‘group of death’ with defending champions Sharkia of Egypt, Trustees of Ghana who were first and second in the last tournament respectively as well as Nigeria’s Police Machines.
“It will be difficult to step out of the group stages because of the teams that we are drawn against. We have to aim high and be a bit tougher,” he said.
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The coach said they have in their team two 17 year olds Gift Chomunorwa and Philip Machaya with two 21 year olds Arnold Mpofu and Warwick Ullrich.
Mukwekwa said they were introducing young players as part of their development process.
The team will be captained by one of its most experienced players Kanyiwe Tafuma with Nick Simpson, Donald Mutupo (vice-captain), Tinavo Mashavi, Edwin Tholana, Matthew Williams, Pritchard Matambo, Paul Dakarai, Rangarirai Mungwiniri, Cydreck Starch, Prosper Sithole, Sean Williams, Ranga Museki, Tamsy Moyo, Joram Gonyora, Farai Shonhiwa, Tendai Maredza, Takudzwa Mangwendeza, and Michael Richards in the team.
Egyptian side Sharkia said their aim was to retain the championship which they won in 2012.
“We want to win the championship. We have been training well since we came here and we will be playing a match against Eradicators. The stadium is in a very good condition.
Most of the players that are in the team were here when we won the championship,” said team manager Mohamed Zaher.
Coached by Gamal Amin, Sharkia has Amro Abdel Fatah, Mohamed Samer, Mohamed Fathe, Moustafa Khalel, Mohamed Hosny, Aymen Khalil, Ahmed Fathala, Ahmed Mohsen, Asharf Said, Hosam Kharip, Ahmed Elgandy, Mohamed Essam, Mahmoud Abdelaziz, Eslam Moustafa, Ahmed Mohamed, IbrahimSamir, Elshafiy Abo Amer and Ahmed Gamal.
Other teams that are expected in the tournament include Kenya women’s clubs Orange and Strathmore, Nigeria’s Police Machines (men) and Heartlands (women), Ghana GRA and Ghana Police (men and women) and Trustees (men).
Malawi will be sending in Genetrix (men and women) while Tanzania will provide only a women’s team, Twende.
