Kenya’s representatives at this year’s Africa Cup for Club Champions (ACCC), set to take place at the Youth City Hockey Stadium in Port Said, Egypt, will have to be at their best if they are to claim the elusive men’s and women’s titles.
The last time a Kenyan team won the women’s title was in 2018 when Blazers (formerly Telkom) triumphed in Abuja, Nigeria. For the men, the last Kenyan champions were the now-defunct Armed Forces, who secured the trophy in 1988 in Namibia.
The 2025 edition, running from January 30 to February 7, will feature 11 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams. Sharkia (men) of Egypt and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) are favourites to retain their men and women’s titles they won at the last year’s edition in Blantyre, Malawi. Sharkia and GRA had also won in 2022 in Nairobi.
Kenya will be represented by the KHU Premier League champions and last year’s ACCC silver medallists, Western Jaguars, along with United States International University Africa (USIU- A) and Sikh Union in the men’s category. In the women’s competition, Mombasa Sports Club (MSC) and USIU A will fly the country’s flag.
Sikh Union, USIU men and women, and Jaguars were due to fly out to Egypt Tuesday night. Jaguars, who were runners-up in the 2024 ACCC, will be looking to go one better this year.
They came close to upsetting defending champions Sharkia in the final, but lost 4-2. With the league title under their belt, they are confident and will draw on their experience from previous ACCC campaigns.
USIU men, making their debut in the competition, could be the surprise package, with their strong team cohesion from the league season. Sikh Union, however, may face challenges with their more individualistic style of play.
In the women’s category, MSC could face an uphill battle as newcomers to the tournament, possibly succumbing to stage fright. However, USIU A, like their male counterparts, might defy expectations, given their solid team unity and prior participation in the 2018 edition in Nigeria.
In the men’s category, Egypt will field four teams: Sharkia, Aircraft Factory Club, Port Fouad, and Zamalek. Nigeria will have Niger Flickers, Police Machine, and Kada Stars.
Source: Nation.Africa | Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
