Kenya women's hockey team bagged the bronze medal in the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations.
The squad through resilience beat Zimbabwe 3-1 on penalties - Saturday, January 22nd.
How the 3rd/4th Place Match Panned Out:
Eleanor Chebet (Blazers), Lynn Tamnai (Strathmore) and Alice Owiti (Lakers) scored to lead Kenya to victory in the third/fourth place playoffs played at Theodosia Okoh Stadium in Accra, Ghana.
Despite arriving late at the tournament after travelling hiccups, the East Africans put on a show that surprised many.
Commonly referred to as Tausi, Kenya began the tournament on a low in their Group B(Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Namibia) matches after dishing out a 3-0 walkover against Ghana after arriving late last week on Tuesday.
It was a painful defeat for Zimbabwe who created several chances during the match. Their biggest let down was the failure to convert the opportunities that came their way.
The handicap continued in the shootout where Tinodiwanashe Elijah was the only player to convert from the spot. Kenya also had their fair share of opportunities and they also failed to score, especially in the last quarter which they dominated.
Despite missing out on a medal, Zimbabwe would take comfort in the fact that after 24 years, they managed to reach this stage. The senior women's team last played in the semi-finals at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1998.
South Africa Carried The Tournament:
South Africa claimed both the men’s and women’s titles.
Following their victories at the Theodosia Okoh Stadium South Africa’s men qualify for the Men’s 2023 World Cup, due to be held in India, while the women qualify for the Women’s 2022 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by Spain and The Netherlands.
The victory also means South Africa have now won the previous eight men’s tournaments.
What the Victory means:
Following their victories at the Theodosia Okoh Stadium South Africa’s men qualify for the Men’s 2023 World Cup, due to be held in India, while the women qualify for the Women’s 2022 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by Spain and The Netherlands.