South African Hockey have announced the first ever South African Men’s Hockey5s Squad today. The team will head to Ismailia in Egypt with the objective of qualifying for the Hockey5s World Cup in 2024.
The first ever FIH Hockey5s World cup will take place in Muscat in Oman in January 2024. For both the Men’s and Women’s tournament there are three quota spaces for the African Nations which means the African Qualifier offers a wonderful opportunity for African Hockey.
The squad selected by head coach Dalan Phillips and his selectors includes Owen Mvimbi who has more than 50 caps for the national outdoor men’s side while Zenani Kraai recently earned his debut in Malaysia at the Azlan Shah Cup.
Phillips shared his excitement at the opportunity of testing themselves against the continent and being the first side to represent the men in this format.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to represent and lead the first SA men’s 5’s team to an African qualifier. We have selected a young vibrant group of players that is looking to express themselves and showcase their talent to the rest of Africa. We would like to set the benchmark for our future squads to measure against!”
SA Men’s Hockey 5s Squad – African Qualifier
Travelling Squad
Angelo Walstroom
Brandon Du Toit
Cody Posthumus
Jared Cass
Owen Mvimbi
Taine Bird
Taylor Kelly-Stack
Winray Christoffels
Zenani Kraai
Non-Travelling Reserves
Idrees Abdulla
Jared Campbell
Melrick Maddocks
About Hockey5s
Hockey5s was first played competitively in preparation for the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games and was quickly adopted by many nations in search of an outdoor short format of Hockey.
Hockey5s incorporates all the skills and game principles of Hockey. With fewer players, less space and rebound boards on all 4 sides of the court, Hockey5s also presents a range of different tactical options to other formats.