Zimbabwe and Namibia have booked their places in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after dominant semi-final performances in the Africa Qualifiers held in Harare. South Africa, meanwhile, had already secured their World Cup berth through direct qualification.
In the second semi-final, Zimbabwe comfortably defeated Kenya by seven wickets, chasing down a modest target of 123 in just 15 overs. Kenya had posted 122 for 6, with Rakep Patel top-scoring at 65 off 47 balls. Zimbabwe’s bowlers, led by Blessing Muzarabani, restricted Kenya effectively—Muzarabani returned figures of 4-0-19-2, while Richard Ngarava chipped in with 1-31.
Zimbabwe’s chase was powered by a scintillating opening stand of 70 runs between Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani in the first six overs. Bennett’s aggressive innings of 51 off 25 balls featured eight boundaries and a six, including an extraordinary over where he hit six consecutive fours off Lucas Oluoch. Vraj Patel eventually broke the partnership by removing Bennett, and later dismissed Marumani for 39. Despite the early wickets, Zimbabwe’s lower order, led by Ryan Burl and Tony Munyonga, ensured a smooth finish without further hiccups.
This victory extends Zimbabwe’s strong performance in the qualifiers and confirms their return to the global stage, joining Namibia, who had earlier secured their spot with a convincing win over Tanzania.
Namibia, making their fourth appearance at the Men’s T20 World Cup after 2021, 2022, and 2024, overcame Tanzania by 63 runs. Batting first, Namibia posted 174 for 6, recovering from an early collapse that saw four wickets fall in the powerplay. Captain Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit steadied the innings, scoring 55 off 41 balls and 61 not out off 43 balls respectively, with Smit smashing four sixes to accelerate the total.
Namibia’s bowlers then dismantled the Tanzanian batting line-up. JJ Smit struck first, taking two wickets off consecutive balls, including the top-order duo of Arun Yadav and Dhrumit Mehta. He later removed Mukesh Suthar to finish with figures of 3 for 16. Ben Shikongo supported him with 3 for 21, ensuring Tanzania could only muster 111 for 8 by the end of their innings.
With these wins, both Zimbabwe and Namibia will join South Africa at the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, setting up exciting prospects for African representation on the global stage.