Both Namibia and Zimbabwe have clinched their entries into the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup after reaching the finals of the African qualifying competition held in Harare.

Namibia triumphed over Tanzania by a margin of 63 runs in the semi-finals, marking their fourth consecutive advancement to the finals.

Meanwhile, hosts Zimbabwe secured their spot with a comfortable seven-wicket win against Kenya, ensuring their return to the tournament after a hiatus since 2022.

Kenya, after winning the toss, opted to bat first and finished with a score of 122-6, largely thanks to Rakep Patel’s contribution of 65 runs off 47 balls.

In response, Brian Bennett led the charge for the Chevrons, scoring 51 runs off 25 balls, and they successfully chased down the target with five overs remaining.

The upcoming final between Namibia and Zimbabwe is set for Saturday, with both teams eager to showcase their talents in India and Sri Lanka next year.

Earlier on Thursday, Namibia faced early setbacks, falling to 41-4 against Tanzania. However, a solid partnership of 88 runs between captain Gerhard Erasmus (55 from 41 balls) and JJ Smit (61 not out off 43) allowed the Eagles to finish with 174-6.

In the bowling department, Smit recorded impressive figures of 3-16 while Ben Shikongo took 3-21, restricting the Tanzanian team to 111-8 in their reply.

Namibia made their T20 World Cup debut in the UAE and Oman in 2021, achieving victories over the Netherlands, Ireland, and Scotland before being eliminated in the Super 12s.

However, they failed to advance beyond the group stage in the 2022 and 2024 tournaments.

Next year, a total of twenty teams will participate in the T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from 7 February to 8 March.