The South African men’s hockey team embark on their campaign to win the Africa continent’s Olympic Games Qualifier tournament when they meet Uganda at 1 pm Friday in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
KZN Coastal Raiders midfielder Wade Paton assumes the captain’s armband in place of the injured Austin Smith of Western Province, who is out of the tournament with a broken hand.
Smith’s WP team-mate Craig Haley (hand) and Raiders striker Marvin Harper (work) were also unable to make the trip.
Goalkeeper Jacques le Roux (WP), Southern Gauteng centre back Ricky West and his provincial team-mate and midfielder Clinton Panther will all be looking for the first taste of international hockey at senior level.
Uganda are an unknown quantity but world number 12 SA should have too much for them.
SA are in Pool A with Kenya and Uganda, and meet the Kenyans at midday on Monday, while the South Africans’ arch-continental rivals, Egypt, top Pool B ahead of Ghana, Zimbabwe and Morocco.
The men’s semi-finals are next Friday, where SA should meet Ghana at 3 pm, and the final is next Sunday at 5.30 pm where SA are slated to have another tussle with Egypt in their quest to retain the Africa Cup they won against the Egyptians in Ghana two years ago.
The Investec South Africa women’s team will also be looking to retain the Africa Cup and in so doing win this Olympic Games qualifier tournament at the same time.
SA will be missing influential head coach Giles Bonnet due to unavoidable commitments with his Dutch club but the Amsterdam-based former SA men's captain and coach has a very good support team, and assistant coach Fabian Gregory steps into the breach.
SA are also missing world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee (university studies) as well as the experienced Kathleen Taylor, Lisa Deetlefs, Lenise Marais and Mariette Rix for assorted work or study reasons, while the return of former national vice-captain Kate Woods has been put on hold until she has reached full fitness.
On the injury list are Hettie Oosthuizen, Kelly Madsen, Celia Evans, Marcelle Keet, Jen Wilson and Dirkie Chamberlain, so captain Marsha Marescia, who will play in her 250th Test match when SA open their Africa Cup 2011 tournament against Kenya at 4 pm on Saturday, has something of a new-look team with “freshers” to the squad in 17-year-old Sentraal schoolgirl Tanya Britz, her Free State team-mate Nicole Kemp as well as the Southern Gauteng pair, Bernadette Coston and Catherine McNulty.
SA meet Ghana in their second match at 2 pm Monday before tackling Zimbabwe at 4 pm next Thursday. The women’s final is at 3 pm next Sunday, where the Investec South Africa team are likely to face Ghana again.
TEAMS
SA Men: Brendon Botes (Eastern Province); Jacques le Roux, Andrew Cronje, Ian Haley, Lloyd Norris-Jones (all Western Province); Justin Reid-Ross, Rhett Halkett, Jonty Robinson (all Northern Gauteng Blues); Wade Paton (capt), Taine Paton, Tim Drummond Lloyd Madsen. Gareth Carr (all KZN Coastal Raiders); Lance Louw, Ricky West, Clinton Panther, Miguel da Graca (all Southern Gauteng), Julian Hykes (Amathole/Border). Support staff: Gregg Clark (head coach), Kurt Cerfontyne, Martin van Staden, Mo Malebye, Austin Smith, Kate Temple-Jones.
SA Women: Cindy Botha (KZN Coastal Raiders); Tarryn Bright, Illse Davids, Hanli Hattingh, Jade Mayne, Shelley Russell (all WP), Tanya Britz, Nicole de Vries, Nicole Kemp, Lesle-Ann George (all Free State), Marsha Marescia (capt), Catherine McNulty, Bernadette Coston (all Southern Gauteng), Sulette Damons (North West), Liesel Dorothy (EP), Kim Hubach, Sanani Mangisa, Nicolene Terblanche (all Northern Gauteng Blues). Support staff: Fabian Gregory (head coach), Adrian Carolan, Les Galloway, Wayne Hendricks, Rob van Ginkel, Henet Branders.
Source: SA Hockey Association media release
The full Match Schedule for the Africa Olympic Qualifier can be found below. The winning teams of both the men's and women's Africa Cup tournaments will achieve direct qualification for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The FIH website will provide an update of the action from the weekend on Monday. To keep track of the latest news, please visit www.afrhockey.org .
AFRICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER – 2011
MATCH SCHEDULE
MEN
| POOL A | POOL B |
| SOUTH AFRICA (RSA) | EGYPT (EGY) |
| KENYA (KEN) | GHANA (GHA) |
| UGANDA (UGA) | ZIMBABWE (ZIM) |
| MOROCCO (MOR) |
WOMEN
| ONE POOL |
| SOUTH AFRICA (RSA) |
| GHANA (GHA) |
| KENYA (KEN) |
| ZIMBABWE (ZIM) |
| UGANDA (UGA) |
| TIME | TEAMS |
| Friday 2nd September | |
| 15h00 | Ghana v Uganda (W) |
| 17:00 | Kenya v Zimbabwe (W) |
| 18:30 | Opening ceremony |
| Saturday 3rd September | |
| 14:00 | S. Africa v Uganda (M) |
| 16:00 | Ghana v Morocco (M) |
| 18:00 | Egypt v Zimbabwe (M) |
| Sunday 4th September | |
| 10:00 | S. Africa v Uganda (W) |
| 12:00 | Kenya v South Africa (M) |
| 14:00 | Ghana v Zimbabwe (W) |
| 16:00 | Ghana v Egypt (M) |
| 18:00 | Zimbabwe v Morocco (M) |
| Monday 5th September | |
| 14:00 | Kenya v S. Africa (W) |
| 16:00 | Zimbabwe v Uganda (W) |
| Tuesday 6th September | |
| REST DAY | |
| Wednesday 7th September | |
| 08:00 | Uganda V Kenya (M) |
| 10:00 | Egypt v Morocco (M) |
| 14:00 | Uganda v Kenya (W) |
| 16:00 | Ghana v S. Africa (W) |
| 18:00 | Zimbabwe v Ghana (M) |
| Thursday 8th September | |
| 14:00 | Kenya v Ghana (W) |
| 16:00 | S. Africa v Zimbabwe (W) |
| Friday 9th September | |
| 12:30 | Pool C Classification (M) (3rd Pool A v 4th Pool B) |
| 15:00 | Semi-Final 1 (M) (1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B) |
| 17:30 | Semi-Final 2 (M) 1st Pool B v 2nd Pool A) |
| Saturday 10th September | |
| 12:30 | Pool C Classification (M) (4th Pool B v 3rd Pool A) |
| 15:00 | 3rd /4th Place match (W) (3rd Pool v 4th Pool) |
| 17:30 | 3rd / 4th Place match (M) (Loser M#21 v Loser M#22) |
| Sunday 11th September | |
| 12:30 | Pool C Classification (M) (3rd Pool A v 3rd Pool B) |
| 15:00 | FINAL (W) (1st in Pool v 2n in Pool) |
| 17:30 | FINAL (M) (Winner M#21 v Winner M#22) |
| 19:30 | Closing Ceremony |
To download the match schedule in PDF format, please click here.
