Africa-Press – Namibia. TOP-CLASS hockey will be in store this weekend when Namibia’s men and women’s indoor teams take on South Africa in a five-match international test series at the Windhoek Showgrounds.
The series will serve as preparation for the Indoor World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa in February next year, and as such will serve as vital preparation for both countries.
Namibia’s men’s coach Trevor Cormack said they were looking forward to a tough series.
“We are very excited and looking forward to the series. We are not fully prepared yet, but it will be quite a test and a good indication of where both teams’ preparations are for the world cup. South Africa have selected a strong squad, they only have two newcomers, so it’s going to be tough,” he said.
The last time the teams met, in Cape Town in December last year, South Africa won a four-match series 2-0, with two of the tests drawn 3-3, while SA won the other two matches 7-4, and 6-5.
“We had a really good series against them last year, which gave us a lot of confidence – they won the series, but we were a bit unlucky and could have at least drawn the series,” Cormack said.
Cormack has selected his world cup squad, with the exception of goalkeeper Richter van Rooyen, who is writing exams, and has been replaced by Roben Kambinda, while two non-travelling reserves, Percy Barthram and Nico Jacobs have also been called up.
The local-based players have been in training for the past few weeks, while they have been joined by the Hansen brothers Dakota and Fagan who recently returned from the Netherlands, as well as several South African based students like Liam Hermanus, Nico Neethling, David Britz and JP Britz.
The South African team, meanwhile, includes star players like the Cassiem brothers, Dayaan and Mustapha, the experienced Jethro Eustice and Rusten Abrahams, and some upcoming players like Cameron Goodwin, Marvin Simons, Daniel Sibbald and Spencer Botes, who will be making his national debut.
Namibia’s women’s team, meanwhile, will be out to maintain their number one ranking in Africa after they beat South Africa at the Africa Cup last year and coach Erwin Handura said they were well-prepared and looking forward to the series.
“We have been training for about seven weeks and it has gone well. We played four games against a strong invitation men’s side and won the first match before narrowly losing the last three by a single goal each. It shows that the ladies are improving, and they can handle the physicality and speed of the men,” he said.
Handura has announced an experienced side that includes five members who competed at the 2018 Indoor World Cup in Berlin and ten who beat SA at the Africa Cup last year, while there are only two newcomers in Jaime Gillies and Anthea Coetzee.
The inspirational Maggy Mengo, who has 56 indoor caps, captains the team that includes other experienced players like Petro Stoffberg, Berencia Diamond, Gillian Hermanus, Jivanka Kruger, and Sunelle Ludwig, and the upcoming Azaylee Philander, Danja Meyer, Caitlin Gillies and Kaela Schimming.
Handura said
“We are playing on our home turf in front of our own fans and we want to underline our status as the top-ranked team in Africa. With the support of our home fans and our sponsors we will go all out to win the series,” he said.
The South African team includes numerous experienced players like Jessica O’ Connor who has already won 105 caps, Jamie Southgate (58 caps), Robyn Johnson and Celia Seerane (49 caps each), Edith Molikoe (40 caps), Jessica Lardant (35) and Tegan Fourie (34), as well as three uncapped players in Cerian Fourie, Laiken Brisset and Kirsty Adams.
The men and women will each play five tests, starting on Friday and Saturday morning and evening, and Sunday morning, followed by the prize giving ceremony at 11h30 on Sunday.
The series will serve as preparation for the Indoor World Cup in Pretoria, South Africa in February next year, and as such will serve as vital preparation for both countries.
Namibia’s men’s coach Trevor Cormack said they were looking forward to a tough series.
“We are very excited and looking forward to the series. We are not fully prepared yet, but it will be quite a test and a good indication of where both teams’ preparations are for the world cup. South Africa have selected a strong squad, they only have two newcomers, so it’s going to be tough,” he said.
The last time the teams met, in Cape Town in December last year, South Africa won a four-match series 2-0, with two of the tests drawn 3-3, while SA won the other two matches 7-4, and 6-5.
“We had a really good series against them last year, which gave us a lot of confidence – they won the series, but we were a bit unlucky and could have at least drawn the series,” Cormack said.
Cormack has selected his world cup squad, with the exception of goalkeeper Richter van Rooyen, who is writing exams, and has been replaced by Roben Kambinda, while two non-travelling reserves, Percy Barthram and Nico Jacobs have also been called up.
The local-based players have been in training for the past few weeks, while they have been joined by the Hansen brothers Dakota and Fagan who recently returned from the Netherlands, as well as several South African based students like Liam Hermanus, Nico Neethling, David Britz and JP Britz.
The South African team, meanwhile, includes star players like the Cassiem brothers, Dayaan and Mustapha, the experienced Jethro Eustice and Rusten Abrahams, and some upcoming players like Cameron Goodwin, Marvin Simons, Daniel Sibbald and Spencer Botes, who will be making his national debut.
Namibia’s women’s team, meanwhile, will be out to maintain their number one ranking in Africa after they beat South Africa at the Africa Cup last year and coach Erwin Handura said they were well-prepared and looking forward to the series.
“We have been training for about seven weeks and it has gone well. We played four games against a strong invitation men’s side and won the first match before narrowly losing the last three by a single goal each. It shows that the ladies are improving, and they can handle the physicality and speed of the men,” he said.
Handura has announced an experienced side that includes five members who competed at the 2018 Indoor World Cup in Berlin and ten who beat SA at the Africa Cup last year, while there are only two newcomers in Jaime Gillies and Anthea Coetzee.
The inspirational Maggy Mengo, who has 56 indoor caps, captains the team that includes other experienced players like Petro Stoffberg, Berencia Diamond, Gillian Hermanus, Jivanka Kruger, and Sunelle Ludwig, and the upcoming Azaylee Philander, Danja Meyer, Caitlin Gillies and Kaela Schimming.
Handura said
“We are playing on our home turf in front of our own fans and we want to underline our status as the top-ranked team in Africa. With the support of our home fans and our sponsors we will go all out to win the series,” he said.
The South African team includes numerous experienced players like Jessica O’ Connor who has already won 105 caps, Jamie Southgate (58 caps), Robyn Johnson and Celia Seerane (49 caps each), Edith Molikoe (40 caps), Jessica Lardant (35) and Tegan Fourie (34), as well as three uncapped players in Cerian Fourie, Laiken Brisset and Kirsty Adams.
The men and women will each play five tests, starting on Friday and Saturday morning and evening, and Sunday morning, followed by the prize giving ceremony at 11h30 on Sunday.
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