Mon 21.04.25. The Kenyan men, who began the tournament with a draw and have now registered one loss and one draw, will face Zambia next in a crucial fixture. Kenya’s national under-21 hockey teams endured another tough outing at the Junior Africa Cup (JAC) in Windhoek, Namibia, on Monday, both falling to superior opposition in high-intensity fixtures. The women’s side suffered a 4-0 humbling to continental heavyweights South Africa, while the men’s team went down 5-3 in a thrilling contest against hosts Namibia at the Davin Trustco Hockey Stadium. The Kenyan women, still in pursuit of their first win, found themselves on the back foot just two minutes into their match. South Africa’s Paris-Gail Isaacs opened the proceedings with an early goal, setting the tone for the rest of the encounter. Despite a resilient performance from goalkeeper Rebecca Nasambu, who pulled off multiple crucial saves, including a double stop in the 24th minute, the Kenyan defence struggled to contain the South African attack. Paige Salis doubled the lead for South Africa with a tomahawk shot from a penalty corner late in the first quarter. Kenya showed flashes of offensive intent, with Millicent Abukuse and Dorah Jokeyo combining well up front, but their efforts were thwarted either by the umpire’s whistle or a lack of clinical finishing. Captain Caylin Maree and Amber Fairon added further goals in the second half, sealing a commanding 4-0 win for the South Africans in a rain-soaked second half. The defeat leaves Kenya with two losses and a draw in their three matches so far, with must-win fixtures against Zambia and Zimbabwe remaining if they are to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive. Men’s U21 In the men’s category, Kenya began brightly against Namibia, taking the lead in the sixth minute when Gideon Mungai’s clever set-up found Noel Lormotum for a well-taken field goal. Namibia responded swiftly through a penalty corner conversion by John-Paul Britz before James de Jager gave the hosts a 2-1 lead heading into the second quarter. Kenya’s substitute keeper Josephat Ondijo made several crucial saves to keep his side in the contest, but Jack Fourie’s well-placed drag flick stretched Namibia’s lead to 3-1. The Kenyans responded through Vincent Wesonga, who capitalised on a penalty corner build-up to reduce the deficit to 3-2 just before halftime. The end-to-end action continued in the third quarter, but Namibia made the most of their chances despite being temporarily reduced to nine players due to green cards. Abraham Graham scored Namibia’s fourth before Tarankabir Bhamra pulled one back early in the final quarter to make it 4-3. However, Britz had the final say, grabbing his second of the match in the 53rd minute to secure a 5-3 victory for the hosts. The Kenyan men, who began the tournament with a draw and have now registered one loss and one draw, will face Zambia next in a crucial fixture that could shape their path to the semi-finals. Day Three Results – Monday, 21 April 2025 Women Uganda 1–5 Zimbabwe Kenya 0–4 South Africa Men Zimbabwe 1–7 South Africa Kenya 3–5 Namibia Fixtures – Tuesday, 22 April 2025 Women 10:00 – Zimbabwe vs South Africa 14:00 – Zambia vs Kenya 20:00 – Namibia vs Uganda Men 12:00 – Kenya vs Zambia 16:00 – Namibia vs Zimbabwe 18:00 – Egypt vs South Africa Source: mozzartsport.co.ke
