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Desert Jewels call for nation to rally behind World Cup dream

• 12 Hours Ago

The Desert Jewels received a hero’s welcome at Hosea Kutako International Airport following their fourth-place finish at the 2027 Netball World Cup Africa Regional Qualifiers, securing Namibia’s return to the global showpiece for the first time in 31 years.

Head coach Julene Meyer said the achievement was only the beginning, with approximately 10 months remaining before the World Cup.

Speaking at the official welcoming ceremony, Meyer stressed that the next phase would require support from across the country.

“It will take a nation’s effort,” Meyer said, highlighting the scale of the preparations required before the team heads to Sydney.

Netball Namibia president Juanita Witbeen said the World Cup qualification was the result of a five-year plan and sustained work to improve the standard of the sport.

Witbeen said the team travelled to Nairobi with a clear objective of securing qualification and making an impact against some of Africa’s strongest teams.

“We just did not go and compete just for qualifiers, we went to make some upsets,” she said.

Namibia entered the tournament ranked fifth in Africa but finished fourth, which Witbeen described as a sign of the country’s continued growth in netball.

She also credited the development structures that have supported the national team, particularly grassroots competitions and the MTC league.

“There is something that we have built, and something that we are still building to create something beautiful,” Witbeen said.

For captain Mwale Mulenamaswe, the historic achievement reflects the sacrifice made by the players and technical team throughout their campaign.

She said the team’s qualification was built on hard work, belief and the support of the Namibian public.

Mulenamaswe also paid tribute to the technical team, acknowledging the long hours and difficult decisions that went into preparing the players for the tournament.

“You have pushed us, we have challenged, and believed in us even when we didn't,” she said.

The captain said the players had remained united through difficult moments, celebrating their success as one team.

She thanked their families, friends and supporters for standing behind them and pledged that the team would continue to represent Namibia with pride.

“Our journey has just begun. This is our moment,” Mulenamaswe said.

With the qualification secured, attention now turns to preparing the Desert Jewels for the Sydney World Cup, where Namibia will return to the international stage after more than three decades.