Pool stages reach climax in Africa Cup
Eight nations go into the final round of Africa Cup pool matches this weekend with their dreams of playing at Rugby World Cup 2011 still alive, but only the four nations who emerge victorious when the final whistle blows across the region on Saturday will still be able to say that.
Those four nations will progress to the Africa Cup semi-finals next year in the knowledge that two victories will see them qualify for the next Rugby World Cup in New Zealand as the region’s representative alongside world champions South Africa.
Namibia claimed that place at the 2007 tournament in France, but failed to win a match, losing to Ireland 32-17, the hosts 87-10, Argentina 63-3 and Georgia 30-0 in Pool D at their Rugby World Cup.
They face Zimbabwe, who played in the 1987 and 1991 World Cups, in Windhoek on Saturday knowing that victory before their home fans will see them top Pool 1 and progress to the next stage of qualifying, having already edged Senegal 13-10 in their previous match back in June.
Namibia have named a squad brimming with players who played at RWC 2007, including captain Jacques Nieuwenhuis, and the rest of the starting pack in Jacques Burger, Tinus du Plessis, Nico Esterhuize, Wacca Kazombiaze, Jane du Toit, Hugo Horn and Johnny Redelinghuys.
Zimbabwe, though, have a number of players with experience of the IRB Sevens World Series, including Alex Ndangana, Wesley Mbanje, Gerald Sibanda, Fortune Chipendu and vice captain Jacques Leitao for the must-win encounter.
Repeat of 2007 final
The Pool 2 decider between Morocco and Ivory Coast – the only other side in the Africa Cup to have played at a World Cup with their appearance in 1995 – takes place in Casablanca with both sides having overcome Zambia by 29-18 and 32-9 margins respectively in their previous matches.
In Pool 3, Kenya travel to Tunisia buoyed by their biggest win in recent times – a 76-8 defeat of Cameroon in Nairobi – and also boasting a squad full of players who helped their national side reach four Cup quarter-finals and one Cup semi-final in last season’s IRB Sevens World Series.
Captain Innocent Simiyu is one of these Sevens players heading to Tunis, along with the likes of George Mbaye, Bike Adema, Collins Injera, Horace Otieno and Humphrey Kayange – his co-captain in the Series.
The weekend’s other Pool decider brings Uganda and Madagascar face to face for the first time since the 2007 Africa Cup final, which the Ugandans dominated to triumph 42-11 over their hosts in Antananarivo last September.
Both sides will therefore have an extra incentive to top Pool 4 and progress to the next round of RWC 2011 qualification with Uganda keen to retain their grip on the Africa Cup silverware and Madagascar eager to avenge the loss before their own fans last year.
