Wazalendo in Ghana for continental hockey event

 Fidhelis Kimanzi

Wazalendo coach Fidhelis Kimanzi (right) with his players during their friendly match against the national men's team at City Park Stadium on November 14, 2021.

Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The women’s event, which has attracted five clubs across Africa, will be played in a round robin format.
  • The teams are Delta Queens and Plateau Queens from Nigeria as well as Ghana Police, Ghana Prisons and former champions GRA.
  • The competition will have new winners as Egyptian side El Sharkia, who won the titles in both genders in 2019, did not confirm participation. 

Kenya’s Wazalendo hockey men’s club arrived in Accra, Ghana Monday evening ahead of the Africa Cup for Clubs Championship, which bullies off Wednesday at the Theodosia Okoh Stadium.

Wazalendo's head of delegation, James Were, said that the team of 18 players will undergo mandatory coronavirus tests before they have a feel of the field on Tuesday.

“The weather down here is more of the same back home. We will train tomorrow (Tuesday) and see how it goes. But generally, we are ready for the championship, but it’s sad that we never got any help from the government despite our early submission.

Actually, we had to buy the country’s flag for the championship which should not be the case," said the official, who doubles up as the team’s secretary general.

The club will tackle Egyptian side Zamalek in their first match of the event on Wednesday morning, before they return to the field the next day to play Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)

Wazalendo, who are returning to the continental scene after a14-year hiatus, will then play their final group ‘B’ match against Tairat from Egypt on November 27.

Former champions Eastern Company from Egypt,  Nigerian sides Kada Stars and Police Machine, as well as home teams Ghana Army and Ghana Police are in pool ‘A’.

The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semi-finals. Wazalendo will fly the country's flag after Butali, Blazers and United States International University - Africa (USIU-A) pulled out due to lack of funds.

The women’s event, which has attracted five clubs across Africa, will be played in a round robin format.

The teams are Delta Queens and Plateau Queens from Nigeria as well as Ghana Police, Ghana Prisons and former champions GRA.

The competition will have new winners as Egyptian side El Sharkia, who won the titles in both genders in 2019, did not confirm participation. 

The 18 strong member squad that arrived in the host nation are Solomon Murila, Job Odhiambo, John Otora, Esbon Nyong’a, Dan Obonyo and Dennis Burudi.

Others were Griffin Amakule, Bonface Wemali, Cliff Omari,Joseph Ndegwa, Stanely Ndaiga, Mathew Momanyi, Sutcliffe Usagi, Brian Sasha, Danstone Wabwire, Joseph Kasua and Allan Munene.