Men GZC Donk and ZV De Zaan rely on their own strength in Challenger Cup
Today the Challenger Cup begins for the men of ZV De Zaan and GZC Donk. The team from Gouda is in group A where they will play their matches in Sliema, Malta. De Zaan is placed in group B, playing in Novaky, Slovakia. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals to be held on January 18 and 25, 2025. The quarterfinals, semifinals (February 22 and March 1, 2025), and finals (March 29 and April 5, 2025) will be played in a home and away format.
International Guus van IJperen returned to GZC Donk this season after a year at CN Sabadell. With the Spanish team, he won bronze in the Euro Cup and competed in the Spanish championship. With his experience and qualities, he is a key player for the team to achieve success in the Challenger Cup.
''The first match is against the Portuguese team Vitoria, it is difficult to make a precise prediction. We want to experience the level of the teams this weekend and then we can make a good assessment. We know our strengths, we are here in Malta to win the group.''
The men from De Zaan play today at 3:30 PM against Hapoel Palram Zvulun. They arrived yesterday in Slovakia after a flight to Vienna and a drive to Novaky. Team manager Chris Wehnes is looking forward to the European matches.
''We had a good trip, staying in a beautiful hotel with all amenities. We are very grateful to our sponsors, it is a perfect way to prepare for the matches. Today we have a quiet morning program and we are working towards the game. Along with Zaibas, we are the favorites for the group. We want and need to start strong with a win against Hapoel Palram.''
Wehnes relies on the team's own strength for the Challenger Cup.
''Our ultimate goal is definitely to win the cup. It is difficult to say where we stand right now because there are several relatively unknown teams participating. But if we focus on ourselves, we are among the favorites.''
The schedule for GZC Donk and ZV De Zaan:
Friday, November 1:
Group A: 5:15 PM GZC Donk vs. Vitoria Sport Clube (POR)
Group B: 3:30 PM: ZV De Zaan vs. Hapoel Palram Zvulun (ISR)
Saturday, November 2:
Group A: 5:15 PM Welsh Wanderers (WAL) vs. GZC Donk
Group B: 7:00 PM: EVK Zaibas (LTU) vs. ZV De Zaan
Sunday, November 3:
Group A: 8:30 AM Cetus Espoo (FIN) vs. GZC Donk
Group B: 9:00 AM: ZV De Zaan vs. Apoel Nicosia (CYP)
The livestreams can be found at this link.
