Hockey’s ACCC: Kenya’s Telkom dethrone GRA Ladies of Ghana
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By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Dec. 22, 2018 (NAN) Kenyan women hockey club Telkom on Saturday in Abuja defeated defending champions GRA Ladies of Ghana 2-0 to win the 2018 Africa Cup for Club Champions (ACCC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the championships which flicked off at the astro-turf hockey pitch of the Abuja National Stadium on Dec. 15 ended on Saturday.
Telkom who topped the table at the end of the round-robin phase, after four wins and a loss from five matches, had looked likely to emerge the female competition’s overall winners.
They had four straight wins between Dec. 15 and Wednesday, before losing 0-1 in their final round-robin phase match on Thursday to the GRA Ladies who still placed second.
There were therefore high expectations by the large Ghanaian contingent watching, especially for their team to successfully defend the title.
The Kenyans were frustrated in the opening quarter of the game and the scoreline remained goalless at the end of the first quarter.
Limited to movements just inside their area, the Ghanaians failed to create a single scoring opportunity with Telkom thereafter dominating throughout.
The pressure finally paid off seven minutes into the second quarter as Jacqueline Wangechi opened scoring for Telkom after an excellent team play down the right flank spearheaded by Flavia Mutiva.
Audrey Omaido added a second goal through another brilliant field goal in the 38th minute.
Telkom then held onto the lead till the final whistle to reclaim the title they won two years ago on home soil.
NAN also reports that in the classification games in the women category played earlier on Saturday, Ghana Police defeated USIU of Kenya 2-0 to claim the bronze medal.
Delta Queens of Asaba edged Kada Queens of Kaduna 3-2 to finish fifth and sixth respectively.(NAN)
VO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)