adminTHE Kenya national women’s hockey team beat Zimbabwe 2-0 to record their second win at the 2015 Africa Nations Cup-cum-Olympic qualifiers at the Randburg Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday.
First half goals from Telkom Orange duo Terry Juma and Audrey Omaido gave Kenya the win moving them to the top of the women’s standings with six points.
Veteran defender Juma fired Jos Openda’s charges ahead after only five minutes finishing off a Lilian Aura penalty corner. Omaido fired a field goal past Zimbabwe keeper Jordyn Clipstone for her second goal of the championship on the quarter hour mark.
Zimbabwe were shocked by Kenya’s quick start to the match and were unable to master a comeback as Kenya held on for the win.
The Kenyan ladies had on Friday launched their campaign with a 2-0 win over Namibia at the same venue, while Zimbabwe had thrashed Tanzania 9-0.
Kenya’s next game is against Tanzania today while Zimbabwe face Ghana.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe men’s side suffered a humiliating 0-16 thumping by hosts South Africa in their opening game on Friday night.
Accurate passing and high ball speed was the recipe as South Africa delivered a quality performance.
Penalty corner ace Matt Guise-Brown bagged five goals, with the rest going to Lloyd Norris Jones (3), Pierre de Voux (2), Brandon Panther (2), Natius Malgraff (2), Richard Pautz and Dan Sibbald.
The men in green and gold sniped down the left in the opening minute to earn a penalty corner and Guise-Brown fired low and hard, Zimbabwe keeper Tinavo Mushavi getting a stick to the ball but not preventing the goal (1-0).
A minute later South Africa launched at pace down the right and De Voux finished off in style (2-0). In the seventh minute, South Africa made it 3-0 through Pautz after captain Tim Drummond made the hard yards.
Mushavi made a great save from Pautz in the ninth minute — De Voux effecting the assist from Pautz after another accurate, high-energy SA move — and in the 10th a Guise-Brown PC crashed into the upright and stayed out.
In the 11th Miguel da Graca and Panther freed up space on the right and Norris-Jones smashed the ball first-time into the net (4-0). Two minutes later Malgraff’s powerful shot was well saved by keeper Mushavi.
With South Africa overwhelmingly dominant in territory and possession, Zimbabwe were simply unable to hold onto the ball long enough to pose a serious threat. — Online
Online Reporter