Kenya throws Nigeria out of ACN Hockey after a comeback win

The Nigeria men’s national hockey, Green Sticks’, hopes of making it to the last four of the 2017 Africa Hockey nations cup has been dashed following their 2-1 loss to Kenya on Wednesday.

Nigeria who had been battered 13-1 and 8-1 by Egypt and South Africa headed into their game on Wednesday against Kenya needing a win or draw to keep their hopes of making it to the semifinals alive but ended up on the losing side.

There were no goals in the first half as the first and second quarter ended in goalless. With the understanding by both teams that the clash is a winner take all, the players came knocking in the second half.

John Michael put Nigeria in front in the 39th minute midway into the 3rd quarter and 2 minutes to end of the third quarter Festus Onyango equalized for the Kenyans after he converted a well worked out short corner.

In the 4th quarter, both teams threw caution to the wind in search of the decider, again Nigeria fell to another well worked out penalty corner which Constant Wakahura converted in the 56th minute.

At the end of the fourth quarter, Kenya ran away with a 2-1 win to practically put Nigeria’s hope of making it to the last four impossible.

Kenya who failed to find the back of the net in their previous games scored two goals against Nigeria to book their place in the semifinal.

As it stands Nigeria are rooted at the bottom of the log with zero points, and -20 goal difference having conceded 23 goals while scoring just three in the three games played so far in Egypt. They head into their last game needing a victory against a very strong Black Sticks of Ghana who in their first game battered Kenya 3-0.

Photo Credits: IsoSports360 and http://hockeyke.com