WINDHOEK, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The Namibia men's national cricket team, also known as the Eagles, will host their South African counterparts, the Proteas, in a historic T20 International cricket match on October 11, Cricket Namibia announced Tuesday.
This encounter will mark the first-ever international match between the two sides.
The fixture will serve as the official opening event for the new state-of-the-art Namibia Cricket Ground, also known as the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground (FNB NCG) for sponsorship reasons, in the country's capital city, Windhoek.
"October 11 will go down as a milestone moment in Namibian sport. Not only is it the biggest cricket event ever hosted on Namibian soil, but it will also celebrate the opening of a world-class stadium that will soon welcome the world," the country's cricket governing body said.
Cricket Namibia Chief Executive, Johan Muller, said this will truly be a memorable occasion.
"I want to thank Cricket South Africa (CSA) and specifically their CEO, Pholetsi Moseki, for agreeing to this match. We look forward to hosting the Proteas men's team and to partnering with CSA in hosting the ICC (International Cricket Council) men's World Cup in 2027," he added.
Moseki, meanwhile, said CSA is honored to be part of this historic occasion.
"As a fellow African cricketing nation and the host of the ICC men's Cricket World Cup 2027, we are proud to support the official opening of this new stadium, which will be one of the host venues of the tournament," he added.
The FNB NCG is set to make history as it will host matches in both the 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2027 ICC men's Cricket World Cup, the very first time Namibia will host World Cup games. ■
