Construction of Namibia’s new 7 500-capacity cricket stadium is progressing steadily, with the first phase expected to be completed by the end of August.
The stadium, located next to the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, is being built to host the U/19 men’s Cricket World Cup and the senior men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027 with South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Cricket Namibia’s (CN) CEO Johan Muller expressed satisfaction with progress, highlighting the upcoming completion of a commercial suite for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) team in September. He also mentioned ongoing work on the main building, and field preparations for the domestic season.
“The status is very positive. We’re happy to announce that we finally got approved plans, and that the process of filling up the foundations has started. Now, we are focusing on the one commercial suite that will be the players’ area for the UAE in September. This suite must be completed by the end of this month. We’re also working on the sewerage line, and getting our fields ready to host the domestic season starting in the middle of September,” he said.
The estimated cost of the stadium is N$72 million, with N$62 million already secured through various funding sources, including International Cricket Council (ICC) hosting rights, broadcasting rights, corporate sponsorships and a naming rights deal with First National Bank (FNB) Namibia.
The remaining funds are expected to be raised through continued corporate partnerships, and potential government support.
“We’re always behind the deadline, but we’ll meet it. There’s no debate about that. We must meet it because we’re hosting an African women’s qualifier in September next year. So, we must meet it. There’s no doubt about it. But it just feels like we’re always behind – to be quite honest,” he added.
“We raised these funds through hosting rights, so when we got the rights to host this tournament, the ICC also provided a fee for that. We also have a broadcasting rights agreement with them.
Additionally, we have entered into barter agreements, where companies provide building materials in exchange for advertising space. This process has made it easier for us to raise such an amount.”
“We’re grateful that FNB Namibia has come on board for the ground rights. The stadium will be called the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground until 1 September 2027 – just before the men’s World Cup. This has significantly helped our finances, especially capital. Projects like this require capital and cash flow. Out of the N$73 million needed, we have raised N$62 million in the last year and a half. We have plans to cover the shortfall. We are fortunate to have positive engagements with the ministry of sport.
The executive director has committed to contributing to the facility’s construction, and we are very grateful for that. We don’t know the exact details yet, but we are obligated to be responsible in the way we build and approach this project, and we have been up to now. We’ve secured 90% of the capital,” he noted.
This will be the first time Namibia will host any major competition.
Speaking on the coordination, the three nations are cooperating well, as they have the same vision.
“We have a very good relationship. We had a preliminary meeting now at the International Cricket Council conference in Sri Lanka, and we’re meeting up again end of September in Zimbabwe to purposefully discuss exactly World Cup arrangements.
“First, a U-19 World Cup with Zimbabwe in 2026, and then the men’s World Cup, where Cricket South Africa is the main host. So, we started the debates around that, and how the functioning will work,” he said.
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na