Author: Victoria Kwofie – Senior sports writer
The men’s and women’s hockey teams of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) have arrived safely in Ghana after a successful campaign at the Africa Cup for Club Championship (ACCC) held in Zimbabwe, returning with silver and bronze medals as well as multiple individual awards.
The Royal Ladies narrowly missed out on defending their continental title after losing the final to Lakers Hockey Club of Kenya in a penalty shootout, settling for silver, their fifth silver medal at the African club level. The GRA men’s team also put up a spirited performance, edging Hippo Valley Hockey Club of Zimbabwe in a keenly contested bronze medal match, winning 2–1 on penalties to secure bronze.
Beyond the team medals, GRA dominated the individual awards at the championship. Captain Elizabeth Opoku emerged as the Top Scorer of the tournament, while Eugene Acheampong and Matilda Addison were adjudged Best Goalkeepers in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.
Speaking on the team’s return, the Head Coach of the GRA men’s hockey team, Moses Isaac expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Authority and reflected on their growth at the tournament.
“We sincerely appreciate the support of our leaders, from the Commissioner-General to the entire GRA family. Anytime we reached out, they stood by us, and it is through their support that we have come this far,” he said. “Many people considered us underdogs, but we prepared thoroughly and had a clear plan going into the tournament. Last year, we lost the final, but this year we came back stronger and won. This is a young team that knows what it wants, and they have taken a big step forward.”
Men’s team standout Luke Damalie, who won the Best Player award twice and scored a hat-trick during the tournament, also shared his excitement at the airport. “It feels really good to come back home with this performance. We thank everyone who supported us and believed in us. We promised not to disappoint, and I believe we kept that promise,” he said.
“Special thanks to the Commissioner, the GRA family, and our technical team for believing in us and guiding us throughout this journey. There is still more to come from us.”
Men’s Best Goalkeeper, Eugene Acheampong, described the tournament as a personal and collective achievement.
“I believe I have proven my critics wrong. By the grace of God, I still have the skills and experience to perform at this level,” he noted. “The competition was intense, with clubs displaying high levels of skill and technique. We are grateful for this bronze medal and will build on this experience to aim higher next time.”
Despite the Royal Ladies’ strong showing, Captain Elizabeth Opoku expressed disappointment at falling short in the final. “I want to apologise to our authorities, our leaders, and our loyal supporters for not defending the title,” she said. “We promise to work harder and come back stronger to reclaim the trophy.”
Women’s Best Goalkeeper, Matilda Addison, who won the award for the second time on the African stage, also shared mixed emotions. “I am grateful to God, my coaches, and my teammates for this recognition,” she said.
“However, as a team, we are not satisfied because we wanted to bring the trophy home.”
Royal Ladies’ opening match Best Player, Vivian Narkuor, attributed the final loss to missed opportunities but remains optimistic. “We couldn’t defend our title because we failed to utilise our chances,” she explained.
“Preparation for our next title begins now, and we are confident we will bring the trophy back next time.”