• Captain Alice Owiti and national women’s team striker Aurelia Opondo got the job done for Lakers.
• Meanwhile, Kenya Police fell 5-4 to Sharkia Club from Egypt.
Image: CHARLENE MALWA
Lakers Women’s hockey team coach Austin Tuju has appealed for financial support even as the team defied Army Ladies of Ghana with a 2-1 win at the ongoing African Club Championships at the City Park Stadium on Wednesday.
Captain Alice Owiti and national women’s team striker Aurelia Opondo got the job done for Lakers.
Tuju said Lakers are yet to settle their fees for the tournament and have called on stakeholders to foot the team’s pending bills to allow the players compete in a favourable environment.
“We owe the championships Sh140,000. Kisumu County Government chipped in with Sh20,000 but we still believe they can do more. We also appeal to the national government and also the sports council to come to our rescue,” Tuju said.
“This team has proved that with proper funding, they will go places. I am proud Lakers beat Ghana Army, one of the top hockey nations on the continent.”
Lakers captain Owiti added: “We soaked pressure in the early stages and finally prevailed despite the numerous financial inadequacies affecting us. The game wasn’t as tough and we showed once again that we are able to stage a serious title challenge.”
Army won their opening two matches but found the going tough against a well-equipped Kenyan side. Army coach Patrick Taylor said: “Women are not like men in terms of endurance. The matches are played in a league format and fatigue seems to have crept in. We came late and there was a lot of pressure on us but we will go back to the drawing board.”
Taylor also lamented the scotching sun and the poor state of the field for their defeat.
“The weather wasn’t favourable at all. The astroturf wasn’t good either. The Kenyan players play a hard game and are physical as well. We have to be tactically better. We have played the top two teams thus far and I am sure we are going to win our remaining two matches to settle on the gold medal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kenya Police fell 5-4 to Sharkia Club from Egypt. A double from Ghobran Hossam and a goal apiece from Elganani Abdlrahman and Zenhom Abdalla gave the Egyptians a 4-0 lead inside 35 minutes before Mathew Kipchirchir pulled one back for Police.
Zaki Mohammed made it 5-1. A late Police onslaught through Moses Cheplaiti, Danston Wabwire and Willis Okeyo proved too little too late as the Egyptians held on for maximum points.