Strauss' men win first-ever Africa Cup
Hockey
Namibia and South Africa will represent the continent at the 2025 World Cup in both genders.
Namibia men's indoor hockey team dethroned the continental champion South Africa in a dramatic final at the Indoor Africa Cup at MTC The Dome in Swakopmund last night.A shootout ended 4-3 in favour of Namibia (normal time 3-3), securing the men’s trophy for the first time in the country’s history.
With just over eight months to go before the 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup in Poznan, Croatia, it came as no surprise that Namibia and South Africa would clinch the two continental qualifying spots each that were available in each gender.
However, men’s coach Trevor Cormack said the Namibians would be chuffed to reach their goal of affirming their World Cup qualification fully based on results. Namibia’s men made the quarter-final at the previous World Cup in South Africa, but their last two appearances have been by wild card invitation, or through the withdrawal of other nations.
Going to the World Cup as the African title holders were always going to be a fiercely contested privilege between South Africa and Namibian in both the men’s and women’s tournament.
In a nail-biting final, Namibia had it all to do, after a quiet first two quarters which had the score at 0-0 at halftime.
In an lively third quarter, South Africa scored twice within a minute through Mustapha Cassiem and Dal Langford to take a 2-0 lead before Fagan Hansen levelled the score just as quickly with two penalty corners.
Cassiem, a remarkable talent, extended his ongoing record of scoring in 36 internationals so far. He added to his tally as he scored the third goal for South Africa in the fourth quarter, almost guaranteeing South Africa the cup, before Cody van der Merwe scored a penalty corner to send the game to a shootout.
Namibia goalkeeper and captain DJ Strauss showed heroics as he stopped South Africa captain Jethro Eustice from scoring in the shootout and in the sudden death stopped Dayan Cassiem from scoring, securing the Indoor Africa Cup for Namibia.
Strauss in a post match interview said: “I have been part of this team for 18 years; for ten years I’ve been playing in the Africa Cup and this is the first time we win it.
“From the beginning this was the objective – we want to be the best in Africa and we did just that by beating South Africa.”
WOMEN
South Africa’s women's team were crowned African champions after they defeated defending champions Namibia in a shootout (2-1).
An entertaining final from start to finish, South Africa started the game on the front foot, taking the lead early on in the first quarter, through Tegan Fourie. Jessica Lardant scored the second goal from a penalty corner before Layla Davids made it 3-0 just before halftime.
Namibia’s Jerrica Bartlett scored the only goal in the third quarter, before her younger sister Kiana-Che completed the comeback with two goals in the fourth quarter as the game ended 3-3.
In the shootout matters ended evenly and Tegan Fourie stepped up and scored in sudden death to crown SA as champions.
SA team captain Jamie Southgate said post-match: “We wanted to win this tournament, to be the best in Africa. Namibia gave us tough time, we scored but they made the comeback and we had to grind out the result. When I saw Tegan stepping up in the sudden death, I knew it was going in and I am so happy we won.”
Individual Men’s Awards – Indoor Africa Cup 2024
Goalkeeper of the tournament: Cullin de Jager (South Africa)
Player of the tournament: Ernest Jacobs (Namibia)
Top goal scorer: Mustapha Cassiem (South Africa)
Individual Women’s Awards – Indoor Africa Cup 2024
Goalkeeper of the tournament: Sarah Paget (South Africa)
Player of the tournament: Kiana-Che Cormack (Namibia)
Top goal scorer: Azaylee Philander (Namibia)