Youth Olympics: Sluggish Kenya in date with destiny against Bangladesh

Kenya’s hockey team has date with destiny when they face Bangladesh on Thursday evening from 6.30pm in their fourth and final  Pool B match at the ongoing Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Kenya who fell 4-3 to the 2014 silver medalists Canada, and lost 7-0 to defending champions Australia, need to win  their last two matches to keep alive their faint hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.

This evening, from 5.30pm, they’ll however face a tricky Indian side which top the table with coach Kevin Lugalia optimistic that his side will post a good performance.

The two losses have piled more pressure on  Lugalia who had earmarked a podium finish as his target.

In their first match against Australia,  Lugalia said that the boys were punished on turnovers and they that they experienced stage freight since it’s their first time to play in this level.

Kenya is currently placed fifth in the pool with zero points  after defeat against Australia and Canada. India top the group with 6 points, level with Australia but India lead on a better goal ratio.

Canada are third with three points followed by Austria with equal number of points but with an inferior goal difference .Bangladesh are at the tail end with  zero points as well.

The top four teams from the two pools will advance to quarter-finals. Teams which will finish group stage action in fifth place will face off in a 9/10 place playoff., while bottom-ranked sides will clash in a classification match to decide number 11 and 12 (last).