The sixth edition of the World Cup will be hosted outside of Europe for the first time, and there is a lot of excitement around that.

Jess O’Connor who is South Africa’s women’s captain said that they are excited and are well prepared. “We had a good Test series in December and an excellent camp last week, so we are really looking forward to the opportunity. As South Africans we tend to put European teams on a pedestal, but we are here to bring it at the end of the day.”

Jethro Eustice, who played at the recent FIH men’s World Cup in India, is the men’s captain and says that: “The exposure for the South African men’s and women’s teams has been incredible and to host an event like this on African soil, well, it’s going to be exceptional for the fans.”  

Justin Rosenberg who is the men’s head coach recalls how the crowd got excited when the guys got the ball when they played against Namibia in Cape Town for the December Test series. “The following, we have had over the last few months has been tremendous. Obviously, we would like that to motivate the guys going forward.” he said.

The reigning African champions, the Namibian women’s team are committed to deliver a remarkable performance at the Heartfelt Arena.

Zenande Mpame/ OFM Sport