THE Zimbabwe Sables are just one victory away from securing a coveted spot at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia after a dramatic 29-23 semi-final triumph over Kenya at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, yesterday.
Victory propelled them into the Rugby Africa Cup final, where they will face old rivals Namibia on Saturday, with the ultimate prize on the line.
Coming into the Rugby Africa Cup as defending champions, the Sables dispatched Morocco 43-8 in the quarterfinals last week.
Zimbabwe's journey to the final has been nothing short of thrilling.
In a gripping semi-final encounter against Kenya, the Sables demonstrated remarkable resilience and a never-say-die attitude.
Trailing 13-18 at halftime after a costly intercept try just before the break, Zimbabwe dug deep in the second half.
The decisive contributions from their foreign-based professionals, including the influential fly-half Ian Prior, proved crucial in turning the tide and securing a hard-fought 29-23 victory.
It was good game management in the last quarter which sealed it for the Sables.
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Captain Hilton Mudariki was delighted with the victory.
"It's always a tough game against Kenya, but I'm happy with the results, the way that the guys played. Going into halftime behind, there was a sense of calmness in the changing room, no one was panicking. It's credit to the way the guys fought," he said after the match.
This sets up a mouth-watering clash against Namibia, who earlier in the day secured their place in the final with a composed 21-7 victory over Algeria.
The stakes could not be higher for both nations and the winner of next Saturday's final in Kampala will automatically qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, an expanded tournament featuring 24 nations for the first time.
For Zimbabwe, this represents an opportunity to return to rugby's global showpiece for the first time since 1991.
While the dream of direct qualification burns brightly, the Rugby Africa Cup final also carries significant implications for the runner-up.
The losing finalist will still have a path to Australia 2027, albeit a more arduous one.
They will progress to the final qualification tournament, a repechage event comprising one pool of four teams playing in a round-robin format.
The tournament features teams from Sudamerica Rugby, Europe and the winner of a playoff between the Rugby Africa Championship runner-up and the Asia Rugby Championship runner-up.
The winner of this repechage tournament will then claim the final spot at the World Cup.
For the Zimbabwe Sables, however, all focus will be on Saturday's tie.
Having roared back from a halftime deficit to overcome Kenya, their confidence will be soaring.
The prospect of ending a 36-year wait for World Cup participation is a powerful motivator.
As they prepare to face Namibia in what promises to be an epic showdown, the Sables know that one more heroic performance will etch their names into Zimbabwean sporting history.
