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Ellina Mhlanga

Senior Sports Reporter

THEY’VE done it!

The Zimbabwe Under-21 women’s field hockey team are through to the 2023 FIH Junior Hockey World Cup finals after hammering Kenya 7-0 at the Junior Africa Cup in Ismailia, Egypt, yesterday.

The convincing victory saw them progressing to the final at the Junior Africa Cup, also booking their place at the FIH Junior World Cup in the process.

They take on South Africa today in the fight for the gold medal at the five-day tournament which also attracted Kenya and the hosts Egypt.

By reaching today’s final, both Zimbabwe and South Africa qualified for the 2023 FIH Junior World Cup to be held in Chile later this year.

Zimbabwe opened their campaign on a losing note after going down 3-0 to South Africa on Sunday before they upped their game to dismiss Egypt 4-0 on Monday and they then went on to hammer a hapless Kenyan side 7-0 yesterday.

Zimbabwe had a good start to yesterday’s game, getting their first goal in the third minute through Kaylee Sithole before vice captain Khanyisile Mzizi doubled the score in the 11th minute. Sithole got her second goal in the 20th minute.

Tanyaradzwa Changa weighed in with a goal towards the end of the second quarter.

The last two quarters belonged to Tinodiwanashe Elijah as she weighed in with three goals to make it a 7-0 drubbing for Zimbabwe who were in total control of the game.

Coach Brad Heuer was happy with the outcome and the way the team rose from the defeat against South Africa to win the other two matches against Egypt and Kenya without conceding a goal.

“The girls played exceptionally well, they dominated the game again… We managed to shut down everything that the Kenyans threw at us and our finishing was a lot better. We managed to get seven goals past the Kenyan goalkeeper today and still (there’s) a bit of room for improvement.

“We missed two open goals. But I am really happy with the performance from the girls.

“We face South Africa again. They obviously top the group, we came second but now we play them in a final tomorrow (today) for that gold medal.

“And with the way our hockey has been improving, I think we will be able to put up a much better fight. I think we could pull off an upset and win the Junior Africa Cup gold medal tomorrow,” said Heuer.

A number of sponsors, including main sponsors Stanbic Bank, came on board to support the team and ensured their participation at the Junior Africa Cup.

This is the fourth time Zimbabwe’s junior women have qualified for the Junior World Cup. Their first qualification was in 2005.

They then qualified in 2016, 2021 and this year’s edition.

The 2021 event was held in 2022 after it was rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hockey Association of Zimbabwe secretary-general, Sarah Bennett, said they were delighted with the achievement by the team.

“It’s ecstatic that the girls have qualified for their third Junior World Cup in a row and obviously their fourth appearance as Zimbabwe ladies as a whole.

“So a number of those players in this team that have just qualified played at the last Junior World Cup that took place in Potchefstroom, South Africa, in April, 2022.

“And then a number of those ladies in the team that have just qualified also play in the senior national women’s team who obviously will be heavily involved in the preps for road to Paris Olympic Qualifiers as well as the Junior World Cup,” said Bennett.

She paid tribute to the various stakeholders who have supported the team, including sponsors who made it possible for the teams to compete in Egypt.

“To our sponsors out there who have stood by us because we had a sponsor the player that was very successful in ensuring we got to Egypt and also to Stanbic Bank who came on board for our Junior World Cup team in April 2022 and were also on board for the Central-Southern African Qualifier that we hosted in August. They were our tournament sponsors, so once again thank you to Stanbic Bank for all their sponsorship, without them this wouldn’t be possible,” said Bennett.  In the other women’s match yesterday, South Africa thrashed hosts Egypt 11-0 to complete a clean sweep in the group stage having won against Zimbabwe and beating Kenya 5-0.

While the Zimbabwean women’s side are writing their success story, it is a different case for the men’s side who suffered their third defeat at the hands of Egypt yesterday.

Zimbabwe lost 3-1 to Egypt. Their consolation goal came from Onward Shumba.

Prior to yesterday’s defeat, Zimbabwe lost to Kenya with the same margin. They went down 6-0 to South Africa in the first game.

They are up against Kenya in the third and fourth place match today.

South Africa and Egypt clash in the final, and they have secured their places at the Junior World Cup. The men’s event will be staged in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.