Sports – Page 5 – Windhoek Observer

16 Jul

Welwitschias lean on home crowd spirit ahead of Africa Cup final

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The national rugby team, the Welwitschias, have called on supporters to rally behind them as they prepare to face Zimbabwe in the Rugby Africa Cup final. The final is set for Saturday at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, where the tournament has been taking place for the past two weeks, featuring several African rugby nations. Speaking on Wednesday, vice-captain Danco Burger thanked sponsors and fans for their support so far and urged them to continue backing the team in the final. “I would love to thank our loyal supporters and sponsors for your immense support these couple…

16 Jul

NFA commends U20 women’s team for youth games performance

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Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibia Football Association (NFA) has congratulated the under-20 girls' national football team for for finishing fourth at the recently concluded USC Region 5 Youth Games. NFA interim secretary general Cassius Moetie said on Tuesday that te teams performance inthe 10-nation tournament is a commendable achievement for the youth team. “The young Brave Gladiators displayed exceptional determination and skill throughout the competition, demonstrating significant progress and potential for Namibian women's football,” he said. Namibia lost 1-0 to South Africa and again Los 1-0 to Botswana in the third-place playoff. Moetie said the players showed talent, resilience, and fighting…

14 Jul

COSAFA course sharpens Namibia’s football admin team

SportsNFA

Erasmus Shaliahxwe The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), in partnership with the Namibia Football Association (NFA), has trained 30 football officials through a week-long administration and management course held in Windhoek. The NFA confirmed over the weekend that the participants included members from its regional associations and staff from the secretariat. The five-day course was facilitated by Ashford Mamelodi, a former FIFA development officer and a seasoned instructor accredited by both FIFA and CAF. NFA interim secretary general Cassius Moetie said the training was crucial for football personnel involved in the daily operations of football in Namibia. “This…

14 Jul

Welwitschias one win away from World Cup spot

Sports

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The national rugby team, the Welwitschias, are one win from qualifying the next Rugby Africa Cup final and book their place at the next Rugby World Cup. Head coach and director of rugby Jacques Burger said the team is focused and ready to finish the job. Burger spoke after Namibia beat Algeria 21–7 in the semi-finals over the weekend. The tournament is taking place in Kampala, Uganda. Namibia will face Zimbabwe in the final on Saturday. “The match was very tough. Big up to them. They came out and really took the game to us,” Burger said. “But…

13 Jul

Rundu chiefs unveils new management

Featured, SportsAgrippa Haindondo, Galil Palvin, Namibia Premier League, Rusten Director, Tomas Matias

Erasmus Shalihaxwe Rundu Chiefs Football Club has appointed a new management and technical team following its promotion to the Namibia Premier League for the 2025/26 season. Club chairman Agrippa Haindondo said the new contracts will take effect on 1 September, when preparations for the upcoming top-flight season begin. The appointments follow the club’s registration as a close corporation and an internal restructuring process. “These strategic hires underscore the club's commitment to professional excellence and sustainable growth as it prepares to compete in the Namibia Premier League, following its recent registration as a Close Corporation and a comprehensive internal restructuring. This…

13 Jul

T20 league to shape next cricket stars

SportsAndrew Hall, Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller, Jean Basson, Riaan Grobler

Justicia Shipena The 2025 T20 Franchise Competition is set to identify future talent for the country's high-performance squad and national cricket team. As the country’s top cricket league for clubs, it offers top players a competitive platform to showcase their skills and earn national selection. Cricket Namibia launched the tournament last week, introducing four franchise teams and their sponsors. The matches will be played over the first two weekends of August at the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller welcomed the sponsors and praised their investment in the sport. “We are excited and privileged to…

13 Jul

Open water team set for Singapore

SportsMadison Bergh, Nico Esslinger, Reza Westerduin, Riaan Steyn, Tristan Nell, World Aquatic Open Water Championships

Erasmus Shalihaxwe The Namibian Open Water Swimming team will compete at the World Aquatic Open Water Championships in Singapore, taking place from 15 to 20 July 2025. Namibia Aquatic Sports Federation president Riaan Steyn announced over the weekend that four athletes will represent Namibia. They are Madison Bergh, Reza Westerduin, Tristan Nell, and Nico Esslinger. The team will be accompanied by coach Jörn Diekmann and team manager Angelika Diekmann. Nico Esslinger joined the team in Singapore after arriving from Antibes, France, where he is on a scholarship. He will compete in the 10 km, 5 km, 3 km knockout, and…

10 Jul

Toyota donates car for Brave Warriors FIFA campaign

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Erasmus Shalihaxwe Toyota South Africa has donated a Toyota Starlet worth N$300 000 to support the Brave Warriors' 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. The vehicle will be awarded through a public SMS competition. Entries can be made by sending an SMS to 106 at a cost of N$3 per message. Pupkewitz Toyota brand manager Shawapala Kandjabanga said the Namibia Football Association and government cannot shoulder the financial burden of the national team alone. He said Toyota joined the campaign to help raise funds through the competition. “Today, we handed over a vehicle to the World Cup campaign. This collaboration…

10 Jul

Yasmeen Khan smashes national record in 50-over clash

Sports

Staff Writer On a crisp morning at the High Performance (HP) Oval, Yasmeen Khan delivered one of the finest batting performances in Namibian women’s cricket. In the Capricorn Eagles’ first 50-over match against the CSA Women’s Emerging Academy, she scored an unbeaten 145 off 134 balls—a historic knock that set new national records. Namibia,having lost the toss, were sent in to bat. Yasmeen walked in early, during the second over, joining captain Sune Wittmann with the team in need of runs. Caitlin Gail opened with a string of wides, giving Yasmeen early momentum. The pair built a strong 172-run partnership.…

09 Jul

Welwitschias crush Senegal in Rugby Africa opener

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Erasmus Shalihaxwe The national rugby team, the Welwitchias, began their Rugby Africa Cup campaign with a 55–17 win over Senegal on Tuesday in Kampala, Uganda. Namibia Rugby Union (NRU) director Jacques Burger described the match as a tough challenge, saying that playing against Senegal was never going to be easy, but the game was a good test for the players. “For us it was like a quarter-final. We want it like that, and we want to be better in the next game. Going into the Algeria game, we will definitely work on a lot of things… Basically just cut the…