NHF Targets Glory At Africa Cup For Club Championship
President of the Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF), Simon Nkom, said he is optimistic that the country’s representatives for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup for Club Championship (ACCC) in Egypt, will excel.
Nkom who said this in Abuja while bidding farewell to the teams participating in the championship, said that the country’s representatives were capable of winning the trophy.
According to the president, the majority of the national team players have participated in top-level tournaments and he is sure that they will represent Nigeria well.
“The team comprises highly experienced players who have played against powerhouse teams from the Netherlands, Malaysia and other prominent hockey nations,” Nkom said.
“These players are exposed to international events and I have no doubt that they will represent Nigeria well. They are highly experienced players used to playing on artificial turfs, both locally and internationally.”
“I urge them to be serious in their games, and show dedication and determination in all their games; this is what we want from them,” he added.
The president emphasised that there would be zero tolerance for mistakes during the competition.
“We don’t want to experience unnecessary mistakes. We want the players to be on their toes, with zero tolerance for mistakes,” the NHF boss said. “We want all players to be on their toes and serious with their game. Perfection in their gameplay is very important.”
Nkom said that the federation was keen on developing the game at the grassroots.
“When we discover our players, we nurture them from the underage level to the national team,” he added. “This investment has yielded promising results, with some players progressing from underage teams to the national team.”
The president also expressed gratitude to the participating teams and their governors.
“I commend the teams from the representing states participating in the ongoing hockey tournament including Delta, Plateau, Niger and Kaduna,” Nkom said.
“In spite of these difficult times, these governors have given these players the opportunity to go and represent their state and the country.”
“The governors of the participating states have approved significant funds to support their teams’ participation in the competition. I specifically thank the governors of Plateau, Delta, Niger and Kaduna States for their support,” he concluded.
The Kaduna team has an impressive record, with the women’s team winning seven consecutive super leagues, while the men’s team has won four league titles.
Five teams will represent the country including Delta Queens, Kada Queens of Kaduna and Plateau Queens of Jos in the women’s category, while Kada Stars of Kaduna and Niger Flickers of Minna will represent the country in the men’s category.
The championship is expected to begin on January 31st and end on February 7th in Cairo, Egypt.
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