Mens Hockey: SA too good for spirited Ghana
It was expected to be an entertaining clash and the encounter between the South Africa and Ghana men’s sides lived up to its billing at the Randburg Hockey Stadium on Tuesday night.
PHOTO: AFP
In what proved to be a very physical and fast-paced encounter it was the South African’s who came out victors with the 4-0 scoreline extending their unbeaten run at the African Hockey Championships.
Ghana, ranked 41st in the official world rankings, didn’t give away too much in the opening quarter and the sides went into the break level at nil all.
The deadlock was broken by Matt Guise-Brown in the second chukka as he delivered a powerful drag-flick for the first of his two goals on the night.
It remained 1-0 until halftime.
Rassie Pieterse was called upon to clear South Africa’s line in the first minute of the second half as Ghana pounced on a lapse in concentration.
A second Guise-Brown drag flick, this time low and to the right of the keeper, extended the lead to 2-0 before Richard Pautz and Julian Hykes got their names on the scoresheet to end the evening on a positive note.
Earlier, the South African women’s side had kept their unbeaten run at this event going as they saw off Zimbabwe 6-0.
The South African sides will next be in action on Thursday with the men taking on Namibia while the women’s side will meet Kenya.
