IT’S do-or-die FOR CHAMPS TELKOM: No room for error for Openda’s African Queens, Orange

Reigning Africa hockey queens Orange Telkom today face a do-or-die situation as they confront hosts Lusaka Sharks in the ongoing Africa Cup of Club Championships.

Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka will be a battlefield as Orange seeks to seal a semi-finals slot in their title defence.

Orange’s campaign was dented after drawing 3-3 against Ghana Police in their opening match. Only a win in this encounter will guarantee them a place in the last four.

Orange Telkom head coach Jos Openda said they will have to be top of their game. “Our opponents have an edge over us because they are playing at home. We have no choice but to give our best by controlling the game,” Openda said.

“This is like a final match for us. We can’t afford to make mistakes. We are here with a purpose and we have to achieve it.”

Orange will need to score more goals and hope that Ghana Police loses or scores less goals in their match against the Zambians in order to finish top of group A.

The African champions are seeking to win an overall eighth gong and a fourth in a row. However, Sharks will not let Orange have their way easily as they hope to save their country’s image by being the first home team to win a match. The local teams have not done well and have fallen to their guests in both the men and women’s contests.

In other matches of the day men’s defending champions Sharkia of Egypt will be seeking their second victory having launched their defence with a 14-1 mauling of Hippo HC of Zimbabwe.

They will play Sharks who will be out to redeem themselves after going down 3-1 to last year’s bronze medallists Trustees of Ghana in their opening match.

RIVALS SQUARE

There will be no love lost as Hippo square it out with rivals Trustees in their second group A match. The two clubs will be out to outclass each other as their last encounter ended in a 3-3 stalemate at last year’s event in Zimbabwe.

The last match of the day will see high flying Egyptian champions Eastern Company tackle Niger Flickers of Nigeria.

Meanwhile Sharkia women continued with their winning ways as they subjected hosts DE Stars to their second humiliating defeat at their own backyard. Sharkia drubbed them 9-0 to top the women’s pool B.

The Zambian girls lost their opening match 6-0 to Ghana Revenue Authority.