Hockey Africa Cup for Club Championships... Trustees dream of title
Having played second fiddle to Egypt and South Africa at the club level, since the inception of the Hockey Africa Cup for Club Championships (ACCC) in 1986,Trustees of SSNIT now have an opportunity to shed that tag and rise to another level to claim the 2018 ACCC trophy.
Trustees are hoping to capitalise on the advantage of hosting the competition as they plot to cage their counterparts from Egypt and Kenya, who have always been their bogey sides and have consistently denied them the opportunity to claim the continental trophy.
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On Saturday, the tournament pushes off at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium in Accra and both players and technical team have vowed not to leave any stone unturned to adapt to a strategy that would be used to outclass their dreaded opponents, some of who have already arrived for the competition.
Speaking to Graphic Sports in an interview, captain Salya Nsalbini of Trustees assured of their determination to fly the flag of Ghana very high to prove that hockey had now come of age at the continental level.
“Hosting this prestigious tournament is a good opportunity for us. It will no doubt encourage us to showcase our potentials as hockey stars . We are hosting the tournament at a time that clubs representing Ghana have many of their players featuring regularly in the national teams.
“We have come close yet missed chances in the past, this is the time for us to prove our worth, we are not going to be mere participants, but are poised to win the trophy,” Nsalbini said of the determination.
He said participating in various tournaments, including the Hockey Africa Cup of Nations held in Ismailia in Egypt three months ago, had equipped them with much experience , coupled with the three months intensive training put in towards this competition and had no doubt they had put themselves in a good position to win the 30th edition of the trophy at stake.
“This time, things are going to change. Trustees, as a team, have improved in techniques and we, as players, are more determined to win this trophy for ourselves, management and country.”