Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, the all-rounder who picked up a wicket and scored a crucial 42 against the Netherlands, expressed confidence in his team’s abilities. “We’re not just here to fill the tournament. Anything can happen, and we just have to believe that we can beat the bigger nations and compete with them,” Loftie-Eaton said.
Namibia have produced performances to back those claims. In their maiden appearance in 2021, they progressed from the first round to the Super 12 stage and registered their first-ever win against a Full Member nation by defeating Ireland.
In the next edition in 2022, they defeated Sri Lanka in the first round but were unable to progress further.
More recently, the Eagles beat South Africa by four wickets in a one-off T20 international in October 2025.
Loftie-Eaton has been part of all these moments and has contributed significantly to the rise of Namibian cricket. He believes the gap between top-ranked teams and Associate nations is narrowing.
“We are smaller nations compared to the bigger nations, so I think the gaps have been closing over the last few years. We’ve been getting more exposure against top teams. Every second year you play in a World Cup and get to rub shoulders with the best in the world. Cricket Namibia has done an amazing job in giving us opportunities to play Zimbabwe and South Africa. So the gap is ultimately closing, especially in T20 cricket. There is still a long way to go in the 50-over format, but progress is evident,” Loftie-Eaton said.
