HOCKEY: Gritty Telkom stun Nigerians

Orange Telkom Ruth Njoki(l) protects the ball as Strathmore Jane Apondi give chase when they played women National League at City Park, Nairobi. ON 15/04/2017

Coach Jos Openda was delighted that his team had achieved their first target in the competition

20-time national champions beat Yobe Desert Queens of Nigeria 5-0 in Accra last evening.

Telkom started their Africa Cup Club Championships title defence bid on a high note with an emphatic 5-0 win over Yobe Desert Queens of Nigeria at Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium in Accra, Ghana.

Veteran Jackline Mwangi and Caroline Guchu bagged a brace each while Audrey Omaido netted once to give their side a fine start.

Telkom, who are eying a tenth continental title, oozed pure class outshining their opponents through the match. Telkom coach Jos Openda was delighted that his team had achieved their first target in the competition, noting there is room for improvement.

“We all wanted a good start and the girls really worked hard to ensure that we got what we wanted. A win in the first match is very important because it boosts confidence and also helps us gauge ourselves as well as our opponents,” Openda said.

He said their aim is not just reaching the finals but to retaining the title. “Our main objective is to successfully defend our title hence the need to strive to win more matches and book a place in the final.”

Determined to score early goals, Telkom settled in the match with a daring charge from the opening whistle. They were indisputably the strong side as midfielders and strikers dovetailed well upfront in hunt of their tournament’s first goal in title defence.