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South African Indoor Hockey Men Secure Thrilling Victory Over Namibia at Indoor Africa Cup

    The South African Indoor Hockey Men’s team faced off against the hosts in Swakopmund at the Indoor Africa Cup, aiming to top the pool stage and virtually secure a spot in the tournament final, which also serves as a qualifier for the FIH Indoor World Cup 2025 in Croatia. Supported by Tops at SPAR, South Africa introduced debutants Hans Neethling, Cullin de Jager, and Lerou Ditlhakanyane. Meanwhile, veterans Jethro Eustice and Justin Domleo, the most capped players in SA Men’s Indoor Hockey history, brought their extensive experience to the game. Captain Eustice opened the scoring with a precise penalty corner shot into the bottom corner. Mustapha Cassiem then doubled the lead with a brilliant finish, marking his 34th consecutive international indoor game with a goal, ending the first quarter at 2-0. The South African defense, led by de Jager, effectively neutralized Namibia’s attacks, allowing Mustapha Cassiem to score his 79th international indoor goal from a penalty corner variation, making it 3-0. As the half neared its end, Dayaan Cassiem swiftly reacted to a loose ball, lifting it home to secure a 4-0 lead at the halftime buzzer. In the second half, Dayaan Cassiem assisted his brother, who completed his hat-trick with a spectacular over-the-shoulder shot, bringing the score to 5-0. De Jager, on debut, maintained a clean sheet with a crucial save. Namibia mounted a spirited comeback in the final quarter, energizing the crowd. JP Britz scored a penalty corner, followed by Fagan Hansen’s unselfish play to set up another goal, reducing the deficit to 5-2. Hansen then scored again, making it 5-3 with five minutes remaining. Cody van der Merwe added another, bringing the score to a tense 5-4. Despite the pressure, South Africa, led by their resolute captain Eustice, alongside Domleo and the Cassiem brothers, managed to quell the Namibian surge and secure a victory. This win virtually assures the defending champions a place in the tournament final. Remaining Fixtures: 25 May 2024 – 11:00 – South Africa vs. Zimbabwe 26 May 2024 – 14:00 – Bronze Medal Match 26 May 2024 – 17:00 – Gold Medal Match Source: sahockey.co.za | May 24, 2024

    SPAR South Africa Earns Draw Against Namibia, Eyes Spot in Indoor Africa Cup Final

      Swakopmund, Namibia – SPAR South Africa and Namibia renewed their long-standing rivalry in international indoor hockey at the Indoor Africa Cup on Friday. With both teams aware that a victory would virtually assure their qualification for the final—and a spot in the FIH Indoor World Cup—the stakes were high. Namibia, the defending champions, started strong with Azaylee Philander scoring the opening goal after superb setup play from Kiana Cormack. This early goal spurred SPAR South Africa into action, showcasing their resilience with several strong offensive plays. However, they were consistently denied by three outstanding saves from Namibia’s Petro Stoffberg, ending the first quarter 1-0 in favor of the hosts. SPAR South Africa found their equalizer in the second quarter when Cerian Fourie executed a brilliant run up the left side, crossing the ball for Bonolo Moabi to tap home. Despite opportunities from penalty corners, neither team was able to add to their tally, and the score remained locked at 1-1 at halftime. The third quarter saw Sarah Paget make a crucial save to deny a determined Kiana Cormack, while Cailynn den Bakker’s powerful shot was once again saved by Stoffberg. Both teams continued to struggle with converting penalty corners, keeping the score even at 1-1 as the third quarter ended. In the final quarter, SPAR South Africa had an early chance, but Malikah Hamza was unable to direct it goalwards. The game remained on a knife-edge, with both teams nearly frustrating themselves as much as each other. Ultimately, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. This result secured Namibia’s place in the final. SPAR South Africa will now aim to secure their spot by avoiding defeat against Zimbabwe in their final pool stage game on Saturday. Remaining fixtures 25 May 2024 – 11:00 – South Africa vs. Zimbabwe 26 May 2024 – 14:00 – Bronze Medal Match 26 May 2024 – 17:00 – Gold Medal Match Source: sahockey.co.za | May 24, 2024

      South Africa awarded opening victories as Botswana fail to honour fixture at Indoor Africa Cup

        Both the SPAR South Africa indoor women’s team and the SA Indoor Hockey men’s team, powered by Tops at SPAR, were awarded 5-0 forfeit victories on the opening day of the Indoor Africa Cup in Swakopmund. This decision came after Botswana was unable to honour the fixture due to travel difficulties. According to tournament regulations, the games were awarded to the South African teams with a 5-0 scoreline. Despite the absence of their opponents, the South African teams made use of their allotted time to train and prepare. They now look forward to their double-header against Namibia on Friday, a critical match that could significantly impact their chances of qualifying for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup. Remaining Fixtures – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 – Men 24 May 2024 – 20:00 – Namibia vs. South Africa 25 May 2024 – 11:00 – South Africa vs. Zimbabwe 26 May 2024 – 14:00 – Bronze Medal Match 26 May 2024 – 17:00 – Gold Medal Match Remaining Fixtures – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 – Women 24 May 2024 – 17:00 – Namibia vs. South Africa 25 May 2024 – 12:30 – South Africa vs. Zimbabwe 26 May 2024 – 12:30 – Bronze Medal Match 26 May 2024 – 15:30 – Gold Medal Match Source: sahockey.co.za | May 23, 2024

        All Eyes on Swakopmund as African Indoor World Cup Spots Are Up for Grabs

          For the first time in African indoor hockey history, four nations will compete for the title of African Indoor Champions as the Indoor World Cup Qualifier kicks off in Swakopmund on Thursday. Hosts Namibia, along with Botswana and Zimbabwe, will vie for a coveted place at the 2025 FIH Indoor World Cup in Porenc, Croatia. Thanks to the South African team’s stellar performance at the 2023 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Pretoria, there are now two spots available for African nations. SPAR South Africa made history by becoming the first African team to reach the final four of the Indoor World Cup, securing a second spot for Africa in the women’s tournament. That groundbreaking team was led by head coach Lennie Botha and captain Jess O’Connor, both of whom retired post-tournament. Now, the mantle has passed to AJ Spieringshoek and Jamie Southgate, who aim to clinch an African title that has eluded SPAR South Africa’s ladies in the previous two editions. This team is markedly different from the one that narrowly lost the final at this venue in 2017, with no members from that squad remaining. Defending champions Namibia also triumphed in the inaugural Kathea Energy Nkosi Cup in Cape Town in December, though they fell to South Africa in the Tuanku Zara Cup final. Zimbabwe showed promise in the 2017 tournament, while Botswana is eager to demonstrate their improvement since suffering heavy defeats in the 2022 edition. In the men’s division, both South Africa and Namibia advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup. However, it was South Africa’s sixth-place finish that secured two spots for the continent in Croatia. South Africa, supported by Tops at SPAR, has been the dominant force in African hockey, winning every African qualifier to date, including the last one held at this venue. Despite their impressive record against Namibia, they remain cautious of the threat posed by Trevor Cormack’s side. Zimbabwe, absent from the last edition, showed incredible fight in their previous Swakopmund appearance and remain a wild card due to their extended absence from international matches. Botswana hopes for a better showing than in Durban as they continue to develop as an indoor hockey nation. The tournament will be live-streamed on One Up Two through the NTV page here, with updates available on the South African Hockey social media pages. Fixtures – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 – Men 23 May 2024 – 17:00 – South Africa vs. Botswana 24 May 2024 – 20:00 – Namibia vs. South Africa 25 May 2024 – 11:00 – South Africa vs. Zimbabwe 26 May 2024 – 14:00 – Bronze Medal Match 26 May 2024 – 17:00 – Gold Medal Match Fixtures – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 – Women 23 May 2024 – 15:30 – South Africa vs. Botswana 24 May 2024 – 17:00 – Namibia vs. South Africa 25 May 2024 – 12:30 – South Africa vs. Zimbabwe 26 May 2024 – 12:30 – Bronze Medal Match 26 May 2024 – 15:30 – Gold Medal Match Source: sahockey.co.za | May 23, 2024