Africa Cup for Club Championships defending champions Telkom women’s team from Kenya will open their title defence against Nigeria’s Yobe Desert when the championships kicks off on Saturday in Accra, Ghana.
The Kenyan queens travels to Accra heads up after winning a record 20 titles last Sunday and their sponsor Telkom on Tuesday afternoon.
With the draw released today, by Africa Hokey Federation (AHF), Kenyan side will face Nigeria on Saturday before facing country mate Strathmore University, The Scorpions on Sunday.
Telkom will be chasing the record 10 titles in the Central African nation where they will play fiver over clubs in the sixth club championships.
The Theodosia Okoh Hockey stadium will also be hosting the Kenyan Hockey champions Kenya Police, the Scorpions that has attracted six teams in both gender.
Last season’s men’s league winners Strathmore University Gladiators and second-placed Butali Sugar Warriors have pulled out of the competition due to lack of finances. After Strathmore, Telkom, who clinched a record 20th Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League title on Sunday, will then play Nigeria’s Kada Queens before clashes against hosts Ghana Revenue Authority and Ghana Police.
The top two sides at the end of the round robin preliminary round will face off in the final.
Telkom beat GRA 2-0 in the 2016 final held at the City Park Stadium last January to win their ninth title.
Scorpions, who are making a return to the tourney after a three-year absence, will open their account against GRA before their clash with Telkom. The students, whose best performance was silver at the 2014 final in Kampala, will then face Ghana Police, Kada Queens and Yobe Deserts.
The hosts will be represented by the duo of Ghana Revenue Authority and Ghana Trustees with Nigeria’s Niger Flickers and Police Machine rounding up the numbers. This will be the fourth time the West Africa nation will be staging the tourney.
The championships will be great for Telkom who received a three year sponsorship deal.
Speaking during the presentation of the sponsorship cheque to the team, at the City Park Hockey Stadium, Telkom CEO Aldo Mareuse pledged the company’s continued support to the team.
Members from the Telkom Ladies Hockey team currently make up 11 of the 20 main players on the Kenya National Ladies Hockey Team