Defending champions Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Egypt’s Sharkia on Thursday booked their spots in the finals at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup for Club Champions Tournament (ACCC) in Blantyre, Malawi.
GRA thrashed Capital Braves from Malawi 18-0 to leapfrog Lakers Hockey Club from Kenya at the top of the women’s round robin group.
The win, GRA’s fourth of the tournament, moved them top with 13 points.
In the process, GRA qualified for the finals set for Sunday with a game to spare.
According to Africa Hockey Federation, the top two teams at the end of the round-robin matches will face off in the finals in both the men’s and women’s categories.
The West Africans have defeated Blazers Hockey Club from Kenya 4-1, Delta Queens from Nigeria 4-3, Genetrix from Malawi 11-0, and drawn 2-2 with Kenya’s Lakers. They will face Scorpions from Malawi on Saturday in their final match.
Lakers on the other hand will renew their rivalry with Nigeria’s Delta Queens as the two clubs seek to secure the final spot in the finals.
Lakers are second with 11 points, a point above Delta Queens ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Former champions Blazers Hockey Club from Kenya are out of the finals race after their Thursday 1-1 draw with Delta Queens.
The stalemate left them fourth with eight points. A win of any sort against Capital Braves will not change anything since a result of any sort pitting Lakers and Delta Queens will knock them out automatically.
In the men’s category, Egypt’s Sharkia booked a spot in the finals after picking their fifth win in a 11-5 thriller against Malawi’s Genetrix.
They lead the standings with 15 points, two points ahead of Kenya’s Western Jaguars.
Jaguars play Sharkia in a game they need to avoid defeat to qualify for finals.
Malawi’s Genetrix is third with 10 points ahead of their game against Kampala.
