Namibia booked their place in the Rugby Africa Cup final after brushing aside Algeria in a hard-fought semi-final clash at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda yesterday.

The fixture was a do-or-die encounter for Namibia, who needed a win to keep their 2027 Rugby World Cup hopes alive. After 80 minutes of competitive rugby, Namibia emerged victorious with a convincing 21-7 win, setting up a showdown with Zimbabwe to determine who will represent Africa at the next World Cup.

Namibia scored early, before their opponents equalised three minutes later in the 17th minutes. However, Namibia extended their lead ahead of the half-time break a try which put them ahead. 

Speaking after the match, John Heynes, chief executive officer of the Namibia Rugby Union (NRU), said he was pleased with the team’s performance and that their World Cup ambitions remain well within reach.

“It was a very good game. The boys showed up and delivered a convincing win against a strong Algeria side. I believe the team was determined to get the result, and that’s exactly what they did. It wasn’t an easy match, but we gave it our all,” said Heynes.

Looking ahead, Heynes added: “Our focus now shifts to the final where our mission remains the same  – to finish the job.”

The 2025 Rugby Africa Cup features eight of the continent’s top sides — Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, Morocco, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and defending champions Zimbabwe — battling it out in a knockout format for Africa’s single spot at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The winner will also gain qualification to the second division of the World Rugby Nations Cup. In a historic move for the Rugby World Cup, all qualifying nations for the 2027 edition will be confirmed by the end of 2025, with final seedings determined by the World Rugby Rankings.

-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na