Windhoek [Namibia], May 27 (ANI): Namibia will play against South Africa for the first time in the T20I format, which will mark the official opening of the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground (FNB NCG), the brand-new home of cricket in the nation.

In the historic fixture, Namibia and South Africa will compete in the one-off T20I on October 11 in Windhoek. The new stadium is bound to make history as it will host matches in 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.

Namibia is the co-host for the Under-19 2026 World Cup with Zimbabwe and the ODI World Cup 2027 with South Africa and Zimbabwe. According to ESPNcricinfo, the ground has been under construction since 2021 and boasts a capacity of 7,000.

Cricket Namibia Chief Executive Officer, Johan Muller, expressed his delight and said in a statement, 'This truly is a memorable occasion. The new FNB NCG has been a dream for the last four years and has finally materialized. A match against our neighbours, and one of the top cricketing countries in the world, is the perfect way to open this world class facility.'

'I want to thank CSA and specifically their CEO, Pholetsi Moseki, for agreeing to this match. We look forward to hosting the Proteas Men's team and to partner with CSA in hosting the ICC Men's World Cup in 2027,' he added.

'We are honoured to be part of this historic occasion. Namibia are a competitive side, and this fixture reflects the growing strength of cricket on the continent. 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,' CSA Chief Executive Officer Pholetsi Moseki added.

Even though South Africa and Namibia are neighbours, they haven't faced each other once at an international, bilateral or tournament level. Apart from facing Namibia, the Proteas will also travel to Zimbabwe for the first time in 11 years to compete in two Tests and a T20I tri-series, beginning on June 28. (ANI)