FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2023/24: Preview

    Lausanne, Switzerland: The FIH Hockey Nations Cup bursts into action in four days time, as some of the best hockey nations from around the world will compete for the big prize. The men’s tournament will be played in Gniezno, Poland from 31 May to 9 June while the action runs from 3 to 9 June in the women’s competition to be played at Terrassa, Spain. In the men’s tournament there will be nine teams competing for the title and the opportunity to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League. The nine teams have been divided into two pools of five and four teams. Austria, Korea, New Zealand, Poland and South Africa will compete in Pool A, while Canada, France, Malaysia and Pakistan will battle it out in Pool B. The all-Asian Pool B contest between Malaysia and Pakistan will get us underway in Gniezno at 11:30 CET on 31 May, with three further matches on the opening day. It will be France taking on Canada and South Africa facing Austria before the final game of the day where New Zealand will take on hosts Poland at 19:00 CET. The pool stage of the tournament will be played from 31 May to 6 June. The 5th placed team in Pool A will finish the tournament in 9th place. The third and fourth placed teams in each pool will play in the 5-8 classification matches, while the top two teams will go on to play in the semi-finals on 8 June, followed by the final between the winning semi-finalists on 9 June. In the women’s tournament there will be eight teams competing for the title and the opportunity to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League. The eight teams have been split into two pools of four. In Pool A Ireland, Italy, Korea and Spain will compete for the top two spots that will guarantee a spot in the semi-finals, while in Pool B it’ll be Canada, Chile, Japan and New Zealand vying for the same. Pool B action between New Zealand and Chile will get the action underway in Terrassa on an opening day that will feature three more matches, between Japan and Canada, Korea and Italy, before hosts Spain face off against Ireland in the final match of the day. The pool stage of the tournament will be played from 3-6 June. Similar to the men’s tournament, the third and fourth placed teams in each pool will play in the 5-8 classification matches, while the top two teams will go on to play in the semi-finals on 8 June, followed by the final between the winning semi-finalists on 9 June. Promotion The winning teams from the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, will have the opportunity to play in the FIH Hockey Pro League for the 2024-25 season, where they will replace the teams that finish in the last position in the 2023-24 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League. Match Schedule For the complete match schedule of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup, click here. For the complete match schedule of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup, click here. Broadcast All matches from the men’s and women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2023-24 will be streamed live (and available on-demand) on the Watch.Hockey app*. Passes for the men’s and women’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2023/24 can be purchased on Watch.Hockey for $4.99 (+VAT) each. *except on the Indian subcontinent. Tickets The tickets for the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Gniezno, Poland can be purchased here. The tickets for the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup in Terrassa, Spain can be purchased here. #FIHNationsCup #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.

    Namibia Upsets South Africa to Claim Indoor Hockey Men’s African Cup

      The South African Indoor Hockey Men, backed by Tops at SPAR, aimed to reaffirm their dominance in African hockey as they sought to retain their title as African Champions. Although both teams had already qualified for the Indoor World Cup in Croatia, pride was still very much at stake, creating a tense atmosphere. The opening quarter saw few chances, with a notable save from DJ Strauss keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. The second quarter mirrored the first in its defensive intensity. South Africa had a golden opportunity with a penalty stroke, but Mustapha Cassiem’s attempt was brilliantly saved by Strauss, leaving the score level at halftime. The game’s much-needed breakthrough came from Mustapha Cassiem, who, with his back to the goal, executed a trademark roundhouse shot into the bottom corner. Cassiem soon turned provider, setting up Langford for a swift counterattack goal. Cullin de Jager’s impressive triple save was followed by Fagan Hansen pulling one back for Namibia from a penalty corner. Just before the break, Hansen equalized from another penalty corner, setting up a thrilling final 10 minutes. In the final quarter, Cassiem once again showcased his talent with a stunning finish into the roof of the net, but Namibia quickly equalized through Cody van der Merwe. The match ended in a draw, leading to a shootout. The shootout extended to five rounds, with Namibia emerging victorious. Captain DJ Strauss was the hero, leading the underdogs to a landmark win over South Africa. Individual Awards – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 Goalkeeper of the tournament – Cullin de Jager (South Africa) Player of the tournament – Ernest Jacobs (Namibia) Top Goal scorer – Mustapha Cassiem (South Africa) Final Standings – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 1 – Namibia 2 – South Africa 3 – Zimbabwe

      SPAR South Africa Indoor Hockey Women Clinch African Championship for the first time in 10 Years

        In a thrilling rematch of the previous Indoor African Cup Final, the SPAR South African Indoor Hockey Women emerged victorious over Namibia at the MTC Dome in Swakopmund, reclaiming their title as African Champions. Despite both teams having already secured spots at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, the game was fiercely contested, driven by national pride. The game’s first significant moment saw Laylaa Davids’ attempt saved by Namibia’s Petro Stoffberg. However, Davids quickly made her mark by assisting Tegan Fourie, who scored her 71st international goal in her 71st start, putting South Africa ahead. SPAR South Africa extended their lead with a stunning goal from Jess Lardant, who fired a penalty corner into the top corner, making it 2-0 by the first break. Namibia fought back, earning a penalty corner that was cleared off the line, but an unforced error allowed South Africa to counterattack. Brisset fed Davids, who made no mistake, increasing the lead to 3-0 by halftime. Namibia’s Jivanka Kruger set up Jerrica Bartlett to pull one back, igniting the home crowd. Both teams’ goalkeepers made critical saves, maintaining the 3-1 scoreline into the final quarter. Namibia launched a comeback with Kiana Cormack scoring twice, once from a turnover and then from a penalty corner, leveling the game at 3-3 and setting the crowd alight. South Africa’s Sarah Paget made crucial saves to keep the score tied, sending the game to a shootout. In the shootout, the teams remained deadlocked after three rounds. Finally, Tegan Fourie, the 2023 SA Indoor Hockey Player of the Year, delivered the decisive goal, securing South Africa’s first continental crown in a decade. Individual Awards – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 Goalkeeper of the tournament – Sarah Paget (SPAR South Africa) Player of the tournament – Kiana Cormack (Namibia) Top Goal scorer – Azaylee Philander (Namibia) Final Standings – Indoor Africa Cup 2024 1 – SPAR South Africa 2 – Namibia 3 – Zimbabwe

        SPAR South Africa Indoor Hockey Women Secure World Cup Qualification with Dominant Victory Over Zimbabwe

          Swakopmund – The SPAR South Africa Indoor Hockey Women’s team clinched their place at the 2025 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia with a resounding 14-0 victory over Zimbabwe on the final day of pool action. Knowing a draw would suffice for qualification, the South African team left no room for doubt with a stunning display of skill and dominance. Malikah Hamza set the tone by scoring within the first 120 seconds. Cerian Fourie followed with a successful penalty corner, and Tegan Fourie capitalized on a sweeping counterattack, ending the first quarter with a 3-0 lead. Zimbabwean captain Sarah Evans made a brilliant goal-line clearance, but South Africa soon struck again with Jess Lardant’s powerful flick from a penalty corner. By halftime, South Africa extended their lead to 6-0, with further goals from Laylaa Davids, Malikah Hamza, and Tegan Fourie, who netted her 69th international goal. The team maintained their momentum in the second half, with Lardant scoring again and Cailynn den Bakker adding to the tally with a superb individual run. As the match progressed, Malikah Hamza completed her hat-trick, and the final quarter saw some of South Africa’s best play. Cailynn den Bakker, Malikah Hamza, and Tegan Fourie all found the net, with Fourie assisting her sister for a top-corner finish. Lardant capped the game with her hat-trick, equalling South Africa’s best-ever result against Zimbabwe. This emphatic victory not only secured South Africa’s top spot in the pool stage on goal difference but also guaranteed their place in the final and their qualification for the 2025 Indoor World Cup.

          South African Indoor Hockey Men Secure World Cup Spot with Dominant Win Over Zimbabwe

            The South African Indoor Hockey Men, powered by Tops at SPAR, clinched their place in the final of the Indoor Africa Cup and secured a qualifying spot for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup with a commanding victory over Zimbabwe on Saturday morning. The match began with a tense opening quarter, as both teams struggled to create clear opportunities. Zimbabwe came closest to scoring but the first period ended goalless. South Africa broke the deadlock with their third penalty corner. After chances for Nic White and Mustapha Cassiem were denied, Eustice set up Hezlett for a superb finish. This goal sparked the South African offense, and Mustapha Cassiem quickly added two more goals to extend their lead. Despite Zimbabwe’s efforts, they couldn’t match South Africa’s intensity. A disallowed goal for Zimbabwe briefly provided relief, but Cassiem soon completed his hat-trick with a powerful flick into the top left corner, making it 4-0 at halftime. The South Africans maintained their momentum in the third quarter. Dayaan Cassiem showcased excellent off-the-ball movement to score, followed by another goal from Mustapha Cassiem that slipped through Zimbabwe’s goalkeeper Chibetete. Hezlett scored his second goal from a penalty corner, increasing the lead to 7-0. Langford then netted a stunning goal off the crossbar, and Hans Neethling celebrated his first international goal from a penalty corner. Neethling also assisted Abdulla, who deftly deflected the ball into the net, bringing the score to 10-0 by the end of the third quarter. The final quarter continued in the same vein. Jethro Eustice made it 11-0, and Dalpiaz Langford added another off the crossbar from a penalty corner, rounding out the score to 12-0. The match concluded with South Africa’s dominant win, securing their qualification for the FIH Indoor World Cup in February in Croatia. With their first objective achieved, the South African team now aims to confirm their title as champions of Africa. Source: sahockey.co.za | May 25, 2024