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Ellina Mhlanga

Sports Reporter

FOLLOWING the announcement of the reduced Under-21 women’s field hockey squad to represent the country at the Junior Africa Cup of Nations, coach Tendayi Maredza says they are now working towards coming up with the final team.

The Junior Africa Cup of Nations is serving as a qualifier for the Junior World Cup. It is due to take place from March 22 to March 28 in Accra, Ghana.

Zimbabwe are set to be among the African countries that will be vying for the remaining slot to the world showpiece.

With one slot on offer, there is likely to be tough competition at the qualifying event but Maredza is confident they will be up to challenge.

“We really have a strong team and the players know it. So we are trying to motivate them, give them stuff to do. We are going to do a lot of online sessions.

“They are already doing their fitness and stuff but we are just trying to motivate them and tell them that every country is in the same situation. We just have to do with what we have but the main goal is to qualify for the World Cup and that should be a motivation in itself,” Maredza said.

The team got their group training underway in November alongside the Under-21 men’s side also set to take part at the global event.

But they have to revert to online training following the suspension of all sporting activities in the country.

“The ban on sport is a major setback but it is what it is, Covid-19 is a global pandemic and we have to stay safe. But we were starting to improve, to gel as a team, working on our technical stuff and all that and we were looking forward to getting back on the park in January.

“But now we just have to focus on online sessions, getting fit and depending on the players to do their own practice sessions and work on their own personal skills.

“It’s been tough. We tried by all means to catch-up in the last couple of months when we were allowed to train but now we are back to square one. So we are trying by all means to motivate the players, to keep them fit, to do online sessions, to keep telling them to work on their personal skills and stuff.”

Maredza said with 23 players now left on their list, they will be focusing on finalising the travelling team and raising funds for the trip.

“So our main focus is on picking the final 18 from that 23 and also focusing on the fundraising because it’s going to cost us over US$60 000 to travel to Ghana. So we want to focus on the fundraising with the parents committee,” Maredza said.

Zimbabwe’s Under-21 women qualified for the 2016 Junior World Cup and the current team will be out to emulate that.

The men’s junior side is also working on their preparations under the guidance of coach Fidelis Majuba.

Meanwhile the Central-South Africa qualifier for the Africa Cup of Nations that was scheduled for next month has been moved to May.

The tournament, which is set to take place in Harare is now expected to run from May 1 to 9 with the senior men and women teams taking part.

  Under-21 women’s squad

Jenna Mathieson, Munashe Dangare, Victoria Janda, Tyla Falkenberg, Carla Goodinson, Georgie Allardice, Courtney Lowe, Jorja Jones, Marisa Marques, Taya Trivella, Mercedes Beekes, Mutsa Bera, Crystal Chanakira, Simone Herbst, Khanyisile Mzizi, Lilian Pope, Rumbidzai Zimuto, Mufaro Mazambani, Tinodiwanashe Elijah, Gugu Sibanda, Alexei Terblanche, Natalie Terblanche, Stembile Chikoore.