Ghana got off to a winning start on day one of the men’s hockey competition of the 2023 African Games, with a 1-0 victory over rivals Nigeria, at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium on Sunday.

The cagey encounter saw few chances until Damalie Luke broke the deadlock by scoring late to give the Black sticks what proved to be the winner in the dying embers of the game.

The hard-fought win hands the host three points and the bragging right over their West African counterpart. “At a point, our game plan changed but we had to keep our cool and prove to them [Nigeria] that we are better than them. Going forward you’ll see better performance from us,” Ghana captain Abbiw Charles told JoySports.

Elsewhere, Egypt emerged 3-2 winners over Kenya in a five-goal thriller.

Meanwhile in the Women’s category, Ghana demolished Kenya 4-1 in what was an impressive performance. Goals from Berko Mavis, Narkuor Vivian and a brace from captain, Elizabeth Opoku ensured that the Black Stick women started the tournament on a high note.

Elizabeth expressed confidence about the team’s chances of winning the competition.

“We are taking one match at a time and we need to correct the mistakes we did today and be ready for the next game against Nigeria, whom we have to beat at all cost to make it to the final,” she said.

“Our target is the ultimate (first) and I believe we can do it.”

Source: www.myjoyonline.com | March 18, 2023