Ghana's Hockey team could  be hit by a 'host and win' fiasco in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) World League I as Kenyan Coach Meshack Senge hopes to maintain the status quo of having "an edge over Ghana and Nigeria."

Ghana will from September 9, 2016, host Kenya, Nigeria and Namibia male and female teams at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium in Accra for the 2016 World Hockey League Round 1 for Africa  to determine the teams that take a step closer to the next Hockey World Cup in 2018.

With few days to the start of the tournament, Senge who doubles up as the Strathmore University men’s and women’s hockey head coach is counting on his team's experience  from the 2014 event to get past the first round.

“Most of the players in training featured in the 2014 event. They also participated in last year’s continental Olympic qualifiers in Johannesburg, South Africa. Therefore they are ready to cause upsets,” he said.

“Kenya have always had an edge over Ghana and Nigeria in previous encounters. I believe it will not be any different this time but we will not be over confident. We will take it one match at a time."

Kenya succumbed 1-2 to eventual winners Egypt in the 2014 event in Nairobi but the tactician believes the team has since come of age and will be going for nothing short of the overall title.

Ghana will come up against familiar opponents in Kenya and Nigeria, and the black sticks are expected to qualify to the 2nd round .

With  Namibia being the surprise package for the Kenyans as the two teams have never met before,Senge thinks his team has to be wary of the Namibians.

"As for Namibia, we have not played them before. We watched them during the continental qualifier and they are not pushovers. We will be wary of them." he said.

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Rankings at the Round 1 competitions will determine which teams will qualify for the Round 2 events which will take place in in early 2017.

Composed of four rounds and played over two years, the HWL takes place in venues around the world. This unique competition gives even the smallest hockey-playing nations the opportunity to write their own chapter in hockey’s history books, as they are given the chance to progress through the Rounds, with the added incentive of Olympic or World Cup qualification also on offer.

The 2016/17 HWL will decide which teams will qualify, alongside the Continental Champions and hosts, for the FIH World Cups in 2018 in England (women) and India (men).

All teams participating in the HWL will also receive FIH World Ranking points which could prove crucial when it comes to qualification for other hockey events, while the winners will qualify for the 2018 Champions Trophies in Argentina (women) and the Netherlands (men).

by Adul Malik/ghanaguardian.com