The Spar South African women's hockey team finished off their Pool matches at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Accra, Ghana late last night by thrashing Egypt 11 - 0

Captain Marsha Marescia's side came out the blocks hard and it only took six minutes for Vida Ryan to score the first goal and from then on the floodgates opened, turning a 6-0 margin at the changeover into a further five goals by full-time.

Cindy Brown scored two and Kim Hubach one from penalty corners. A fine solo effort from Kelly Madsen who flew out to Ghana after Kathleen Taylor was ruled out of the tournament due to injury; a hat-trick from Roxy Turner, Shelley Russell, another from Vida Ryan and a first international goal for Julia Cass completed the rout.

SA tackles Ghana in the women's title match on Saturday (17h30 South African time). With the carrot of the 2010 Hockey World Cup, the prize for the men's and women's winners, the stakes are high in both the men's final (SA meet arch-Africa rivals Egypt, and there is no love lost between the two) and the women's showdown.

The SA women know they will have to withstand the huge Ghanaian passion in the National Hockey Stadium in Accra, where the capacity crowd will be deafening in their support of their hockey girls, a fervour that should inspire the Ghana girls to achieve great things. It is something of which SA head coach Jenny King and company will be acutely aware.