Inky Zondi got a simplified vision when it comes to coaching hockey. All that matters is to get every player to be at their best every time they play. 

And he is succeeding. The results speak for themselves. The South Africa women's national field hockey team recently won the 2022 Hockey African Cup of Nations in Ghana. Zondi currently serves as the interim head coach of the national team. 

Zondi, who is the TuksHockey Head of Programme & Women’s Head Coach at TuksSport, is not the one to take credit for what happened on the Astroturf.

"It is a really fantastic result. All credit must go to the players. Everyone was motivated to win as there was a lot at stake. Being African champions means the team has qualified to play the World Cup. That was the mission from the start. The players showed a lot of character and resilience." 

South Africa scored 26 goals in the five games and only conceded one. It was in the final against Ghana. South Africa won 3-1. Zondi is quick to emphasise that statistics are not always an accurate reflection. 

"There were many changes over the last few months as quite a few players retired. So we had our challenges in the build-up to the tournament. The most important was to regroup as a team. I wanted the players to evolve in how they play and tactically think about the game. 

"As a national coach, I tried to keep the same philosophies in the game, but obviously, every detail is essential at the highest level.

"I learned a long time ago that there is no blueprint coaching manual. Every player is unique in how they think and react to things. I always try to understand a player to get them to play to their best ability. Players should also be accountable for what happens during any game," Zondi said. 

"I wanted the team to be defensively solid, to concede as few goals as possible. We managed to do so. The other challenge was to try and score more than three goals in every game. It was easier said than done, especially in a tournament like the Africa Cup of Nations. Every team we played had a very spirited mindset. It was a matter of honour trying to prevent South Africa from scoring against them."

Zondi was impressed by the tenacity of South Africa's captain and goalkeeper, Phumelela Mbande. 

"She was brilliant. She justifiably got the award as best goalkeeper. Tarryn Lombard, one of the top goal scorers, was like a breath of fresh air in the way she played."

Zondi is unsure what the future holds for him, but he has some definite ideas if he continues to coach the national women's team.

"From a hockey perspective, we have to keep growing our understanding to compete with teams tactically. I want us to 'imprint' ourselves on the opposition. The team must start securing some notable wins. To do so will mean the players have to be more effective in the way they go about scoring goals. In Ghana, we focussed quite a bit on our play from penalty corners."