Namibia secured their spot in the semi-finals of the 2025 Rugby Africa Cup with a commanding 55-17 victory over Senegal in their opening match, maintaining their unbeaten record against the West African side. 

The Namibians pulled away in the second half after leading 17-7 at the break, with tries from Johan Retief and Jurgen Meyer setting the tone.

Further tries followed from André van der Berg, Adriaan Ludick, Armand Combrinck, Andrew (AJ) Kearns who crossed the line twice and Adriaan Booysen, sealing a dominant performance.

Van der Berg’s all-round impact earned him Player of the Match honours.

The president of the Namibia Rugby Union Petri Theron congratulated the Namibian side. “Great start to the tournament. It’s great to see you out there, to fill the heat and humidity Great second half, keep on fighting and get us to the World Cup,” Theron said. 

Namibia will face Algeria on Sunday at 13h00 in a crucial semi-final, with the winner advancing to the cup final and a decisive 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifier on 18 July.

In other results, Zimbabwe outclassed Morocco 43-8, while Algeria cruised past Côte d’Ivoire with a 41-6 victory. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na