South Africa’s men tested top-ranked and double defending champions Austria in an 8-6 defeat at the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup in Croatia. The result leaves South Africa in a battle for second place in the pool against Poland on Thursday.
Dayaan Cassiem got his team off to the perfect start. He reacted first to a breakdown in play and converted the chance. Brother Mustapha Cassiem then fired home a penalty stroke to double the lead.
Alex Bele pulled one back before Dalpiarro Langford spun and found Mustapha in the middle for the tournament’s top scorer to fire home. Just before half-time Austrian captain Unterkircher pulled another back and it was 3-2 to the Africans at the break.
In the second half Langford saw the favour returned as it was passed across from Cassiem and with all the time he fired his effort into the back of the net. Alex Bele pulled one back and parity was restored by Fulop Losonci from a penalty stroke.
South Africa won a penalty corner and Mustapha Cassiem fired a trademark roundhouse to make it another hat-trick but as the third quarter reached its conclusion Eitenberger scored to level matters.
Three Austrian goals early in the final quarter broke the back of the game as Losonci scored another two either side of Unterkircher strike. Cassiem would score another to make it 8-6.
Words and image supplied by SA Hockey