Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Namibian
… Despite that, Iran remain in contention after drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in their first game. …
Yamal off the mark at World Cup as Spain thrash Saudi ArabiaThe Namibian
… Iran protests planned In Los Angeles all eyes will turn to Iran’s opening game of the tournament, where they take on New Zealand in Group G at the SoFi Stadium. …
Spain held by tiny Cape Verde at World Cup as Iran make bowThe Namibian
… ning and competing in various conditions,” says Abbasi.Teams will have a performance coach and medical staff to make sure players are ready for the tournament, including through acclimatisation, Abbasi says – echoing what Kane said over the weekend after his side beat New Zealand …
How extreme weather, heat could affect playersat World Cup 2026The Namibian
… The US-Israel military strikes launched against Iran in February have also loomed large over the tournament, where Iran are due to play three group games in the United States, starting with their opener against New Zealand on Monday. …
World Cup nears kickoff after pre tournament turbulenceInformanté
Staff Reporter NEW ZEALAND have secured Oceania’s direct qualification place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the region’s sole representative after dominating the qualifying campaign and booking their third appearance at football’s global showpiece. …
New Zealand seal historic Oceania FIFA World Cup qualification spotThe Namibian
… African qualifiers Egypt launch their World Cup against Belgium on June 15 before facing New Zealand and Iran in Group G. …
Brazil down Egypt 2-1 in World Cup warm-upThe Namibian
Harry Kane’s 79th international goal edged England to a 1-0 win over New Zealand as the Three Lions’ World Cup preparations got off to an underwhelming start in the Florida heat on Saturday. …
Kane edges England to underwhelming New Zealand victoryThe Namibian
… At the World Cup, Belgium will face Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in Group G. Tunisia, managed by Sabri Lamouchi, are in Group F alongside the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden. …
Portugal, Belgium prepare for World Cup with winsThe Namibian
… Iran, who are in Group G, will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, followed by a game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. …
Iran World Cup team heads to Mexico as US visa row eruptsThe Namibian
… However, they are yet to receive US visas and are due to play all three of their group matches in the United States, starting with New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 16. …
Diallo gives Ivory Coast shock win over FranceSouth Africa and France top their respective tables after the southern hemisphere Tests in the inaugural Nations Championship. The Springboks, New Zealand and other southern hemisphere nations will visit the northern hemisphere in November to play three Tests apiece before a grand final at Twickenham on November 27-29.
20 July 2026 · The Namibian →
South Africa and France top their respective tables after the southern hemisphere Tests in the inaugural Nations Championship. The Springboks, New Zealand and other southern hemisphere nations will visit the northern hemisphere in November to play three Tests apiece before a grand final at Twickenham on November 27-29.
20 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Debutant wing Jaco Williams scored a try and created another as South Africa beat Wales 43-0 in Durban to reclaim first place in the Nations Championship southern hemisphere standings on points difference, ahead of New Zealand.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Australia defeated Italy 57-10 in the Nations Championship on Saturday, ending coach Joe Schmidt's tenure with a win after he won 12 of his 31 Tests in charge. The victory snapped a six-match losing streak for Australia and gave them their first win of the Nations Championship.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
France defeated Japan 42-15 on Saturday in Tokyo to complete their Nations Championship southern hemisphere series with two wins and one loss. France scored six tries in the comfortable victory over the outclassed Japan side.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
New Zealand defeated Ireland 40-21 in a Test match on Saturday, extending their unbeaten streak at Eden Park to 53 matches. The All Blacks scored four of their six tries in the first half to lead 28-7 at the interval, securing a third win in the Nations Championship.
18 July 2026 · The Namibian →
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has confirmed that playmaker Richie Mo'unga will not be selected for the upcoming four-Test series against South Africa, as Mo'unga remains ineligible under national union eligibility rules until October due to his time playing club rugby in Japan.
17 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Jesse Kriel's 78th-minute try secured a 42-28 victory for South Africa over Scotland in Pretoria on Saturday. The win kept South Africa top of the southern hemisphere standings after two bonus-point victories.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Ireland beat Japan 36-20 in the Nations Championship on Saturday to stretch their win streak to six, with five Irish players scoring tries on neutral territory at Newcastle, north of Sydney.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
France came back from a 21-12 half-time deficit to beat Australia 42-26 in the Nations Championship in Brisbane, scoring four second-half tries for their first win in Brisbane over Australia since 1972.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Will Jordan scored a hat-trick to become New Zealand's record try-scorer as the All Blacks defeated Italy 47-17 in a Nations Championship Test, improving their record to two wins from two under new coach Dave Rennie.
11 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Matukaramove Kavikairiua, a defender and midfielder from Windhoek, captained the Namibia University of Science and Technology men's hockey team to victory in the University Sport South Africa C Section tournament, adding to his career achievements including national team representation.
9 July 2026 · New Era →
South Africa defeated England 45-21 in a Nations Championship first-round match at Ellis Park, outscoring them seven tries to three. England were reduced to 13 men late in the match after centre Tommy Freeman and replacement forward Guy Pepper were yellow carded.
4 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Japan beat Italy 27-10 in their Nations Championship campaign in Tokyo on Saturday, with forwards coach Neal Hatley standing in for suspended head coach Eddie Jones. Japan scored tries through captain Warner Dearns, full-back Takuro Matsunaga, and flanker Ben Gunter in front of more than 20,000 fans.
4 July 2026 · The Namibian →
New Zealand's All Blacks held on to edge an under-strength France 34-32 in a nine-try thriller in Christchurch to open the inaugural Nations Championship, with Cam Roigard and Will Jordan scoring twice each in Dave Rennie's first Test as coach.
4 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to advance to the World Cup last 16, marking Egypt's first time reaching this stage. Egypt will next face Argentina.
3 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Teenage cyclist Paul Seixas's participation in the Tour de France has raised hopes of a first French victory in 41 years, since Bernard Hinault's 1985 triumph. France also faces long droughts in Paris-Roubaix (30 years since 1997) and Roland Garros men's tennis (since Yannick Noah in 1983).
30 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Belgium secured their first win of the tournament by defeating New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver, finishing top of Group G ahead of Egypt on goal difference. Leandro Trossard scored twice, with additional goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers.
27 June 2026 · The Namibian →
France and Norway meet in a crucial World Cup group-stage match on Friday, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland — both on four goals — set to feature prominently. France need only a draw to clinch first place in the group owing to superior goal difference.
26 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Egypt won their first World Cup match, defeating New Zealand 3-1 in Group G with goals from Mohamed Salah, Mostafa Zico, and Trezeguet. The victory puts Egypt atop Group G on four points and needing just a draw against Iran to advance to the knockout round.
22 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Belgium drew 0-0 with Iran in a World Cup Group G match, with Nathan Ngoy sent off in the second half after fouling Mehdi Taremi. All three games in Group G have ended in draws, leaving Belgium on two points ahead of their final group match against New Zealand.
22 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in their World Cup Group H match, with 18-year-old Lamine Yamal scoring in his first start in two months after recovering from a hamstring injury. The victory bounces Spain back after a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opening game.
21 June 2026 · The Namibian →
European champions Spain drew 0-0 with Cape Verde, World Cup debutants from a volcanic archipelago of 525,000 people, despite enjoying 74 percent possession in their Group H opener. Iran prepared to make their long-awaited tournament entrance against New Zealand.
15 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Scientists caution that one in four World Cup games could be played in very hot conditions, affecting fans and players. Approximately 26 of the 104 matches could reach at least 26°C in Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, with venues in Dallas, Houston, Miami and Mexican cities expected to experience extreme heat.
11 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday with the first tournament co-hosted by three nations (United States, Canada, and Mexico) featuring a record 48 teams. The opening match pits co-host Mexico against South Africa in Mexico City, while the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.
10 June 2026 · The Namibian →
New Zealand has secured Oceania's direct qualification place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the region's sole representative after dominating the qualifying campaign. The All Whites will compete in their third World Cup appearance after the OFC was granted a direct World Cup slot for the first time.
7 June 2026 · Informanté →
Brazil defeated Egypt 2-1 in a pre-World Cup friendly in Cleveland, with goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Endrick. Brazil open their World Cup Group C campaign against Morocco on June 13, while Egypt begin their Group G campaign against Belgium on June 15.
7 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Harry Kane scored in first half stoppage time to give England a 1-0 win over New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match in Florida. England dominated possession but created few clear chances against a side ranked 81 places below them.
7 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Portugal beat Chile 2-1 and Belgium defeated Tunisia 5-0 in home friendlies on Saturday. Both sides will face their World Cup group opponents after the upcoming matches.
7 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Iran's World Cup team left Turkey for Mexico on Saturday ahead of the June 11 tournament start, days after the US refused to issue visas for some of the team's support staff. Iran's embassy said a "large" number of managerial and executive staff were denied visas and called for FIFA to hold the US accountable for what it termed discriminatory treatment.
6 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Amad Diallo scored a late winner as Ivory Coast stunned France 2-1 in a World Cup warm-up match in Nantes on Thursday. Kylian Mbappe had a fruitless evening and was replaced at half-time, remaining stuck on 56 goals for France.
5 June 2026 · The Namibian →