Online Reporter
Tendai Chara
Zimpapers Sports Hub
BULAWAYO Hockey Club and Hippo Hockey Club, the clubs which are representing Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup for Club Champions (ACCC), on Sunday struggled to cope up with high-intensity competition and demanding schedules.
The ACCC tournament, which is being held at St John’s College in Harare, started on Saturday.
First to falter was the Bulawayo Hockey Club’s men team, which was outmatched in skills level by the Ghana Revenue Authority team.
The local team was clobbered 8-1 by the technically superior visitors.
Later in the day, the Bulawayo-based women’s team also faltered, losing by a 6-2 goal margin.
The Hippo women’s team also lost to Lakers, a Kenyan team, by a 1-4 scoreline.
Of the local teams, it was the Hippo men’s team that managed to avoid defeat after forcing a 1-1 draw with Hotspurs, a Zambian outfit.
In other matches, Egyptian side Portfoud ran riot, thrashing Namibia’s School of Excellency 8-1. Uganda’s Kampala Hockey Club lost 1-4 to Kenya’s United States International University.Hippo, who beat Bulawayo Hockey Club on Saturday, are on second position on the log standings after having collected four points.
Ghana Revenue Authority are top of the group after winning their first two matches.
In the women’s section, Hippo and Bulawayo Hockey Club occupy the last two bottom places. Hippo have so far won a single match with the Bulawayo Hockey Club losing on two occasions.
Tongai Mukwewa, the Hippo coach, is confident that the club’s men’s side will beat the Ghana Revenue Authority team in their next assignment.
“If you look at our second match against Hotspurs, we were the dominant team.
“Our biggest letdown was the failure to utilise chances,” Mukwewa said.
