Namibia’s senior rugby team still has two crucial hurdles to clear in their quest to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
After narrowly missing out on direct qualification following a heartbreaking 30-28 loss to Zimbabwe in the Rugby Africa Cup on Saturday, Namibia who have been a regular fixture at the Rugby World Cup since 1999, will use the long and complex global repechage playoffs to determine whether they join the global stage or not.
First stop: Africa-Asia Play-off
Namibia will face the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the runners-up of the 2025 Asia Rugby Men’s Championship, in a high-stakes Africa/Asia play-off scheduled for Saturday, in Uganda.
The equation is simple:
A win means Namibia advances to the final qualification tournament. If they lose against UAE, it means the World Cup dreams will be over for Namibia.
Final qualification tournament in November. Should Namibia overcome the UAE, their next challenge will be the final qualification tournament, set to take place from 8 to 18 November in Dubai, at the iconic Sevens Stadium.
This final qualifier is a four-team round-robin event. The participants will include Africa/Asia play-off winner (Namibia, if they win this weekend), Europe 5 (likely Belgium), South America 3, Loser of the South America/Pacific play-off.
Only one team from this group will earn the coveted 24th and final ticket to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
How the Africa Cup final unfolded
Last weekend’s Rugby Africa Cup final between Namibia and Zimbabwe was a tense, back-and-forth battle that reflected just how high the stakes were.
The two sides traded blows in a match filled with intensity and physicality. Cliven Loubser opened Namibia’s account with an early penalty, but Zimbabwe responded through their sharp-shooting centre, Kudzai Mashawi, who finished off a well-executed lineout move to score under the posts.
Despite Namibia’s efforts to contain the defending champions, Zimbabwe extended their lead after Namibian scrumhalf Jacques Theron received a yellow card for a professional foul.
However, Namibia’s defence held firm during the period of numerical disadvantage. They quickly responded when Zimbabwe’s back-row Jason Fraser was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, allowing captain Prince Gaoseb to crash over the line. Loubser’s conversion brought the halftime score to 16-16, setting the stage for a thrilling second half.
Zimbabwe appeared to gain the upper hand early in the second stanza. Godfrey Muzanargwo, their powerful lock, forced his way over for a try after relentless pressure on Namibia’s try line. Minutes later, Brandon Mudzekenyedzi ran a sharp line to extend Zimbabwe’s lead further, tightening their grip on the trophy.
Yet Namibia refused to surrender. From the very next restart, Jay-Cee Nelbroke through to score in the corner, narrowing the gap. Then, with Zimbabwe struggling to contain Namibia’s late surge and conceding penalties, replacement forward Adriaan Booysen crashed over under the posts, bringing Namibia within just two points.
The game’s final act came when Tiaan Swanepoel stepped up for a long-range penalty attempt in the 79th minute. Kicking from inside his own half, Swanepoel’s effort drifted just wide of the posts —missing the chance to take Namibia into the lead.
That was Namibia’s last opportunity, and the final whistle sealed a victory for Zimbabwe. -Additional info World Rugby