SHINING STARS … Namibia’s Desert Jewels have qualified for next year’s Netball World Cup in Sydney. The team finished fourth at the Africa Cup in Nairobi after losing 50-45 to Malawi in the third-place playoff match on Saturday, but already clinched their World Cup spot on Thursday after qualifying for the semi-finals. In Friday’s semi-finals, Uganda beat Namibia 52-41, and South Africa beat Malawi 62-46, while Uganda pulled off an upset when they beat South Africa 56-53 in Saturday’s final to be crowned the African champions. With Uganda and South Africa already having qualified for the World Cup through their international rankings, Malawi and Namibia clinched the final two African spots as the losing semi-finalists. It is the third time that Namibia have qualified for the World Cup and the first time in 31 years after their previous appearances in 1991 and 1995.
