Namibia take on Morocco in CAR Final

Postponed match on

The final of the Top Ten competition of the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) will be played between Namibia and Morocco at Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek on Saturday afternoon.

The match was to have been played on 6 November but Morocco had difficulty in raising a team as many players play for clubs in France. The match is now within the IRB's international window when clubs are obliged to release their players. The captain Jalil Nargissi hooks for Agen in France's Top 16 and most of the other players play in France.

Last season Morocco beat Namibia 27-7 in Casablanca in the CAR Final. Twelve of the Moroccan team from last season's Final are back for this year's.

The Vermeulen brothers who coach the Zambian team have a side at full strength. Earlier this year there were management problems which led to the departure of the brothers but they are back. Danie, formerly a strong Griqua prop, coaches from a wheelchair as he was seriously injured in a motor accident.

At loosehead for Namibia is the powerful Blue Bull Kees Lensing, one of the strongest men in the Currie Cup. The hooker is Cor van Tonder, formerly of RAU. Namibia will need a strong front row, as the Moroccan strength is in their pack.

At flank there is lion-tamer Schalk van der Merwe, one of the personalties of the World Cup in Australia last year. He is a farmer with a difference - breeding lion, wild dog, hyena and cheetah. At lock there is the Griqua Duimper Theron.

Namibia are ranked 26th in the world, Morocco 20th.

On the match, Jean-Luc Barthes, the IRB's Regional Development Manager for Africa, said: "It is the most important match in African rugby. It is the standard-bearer for rugby here, and the arrival of a South African amateur side from next year will only serve to further legitimise the competition."

Previously the South African Under-23 team played in the CAR competition, winning the first two years,. It did not take part last year when Morocco won.

The Namibians are much better prepared this year for a this summer match, though on Thursday rain fell in Windhoek. The weather closed in over the dry city and the forecast is for rain on Saturday. Though the Moroccans also come from a dry country, they play in wet France and are likly to be able to adapt better than the home side.

The teams:

Namibia: 15 Hendrik Meyer, 14 Jaco Kotze, 13 Du Preez Grobler, 12 Corné Powell (captain), 11 Rian van Wyk, 10 Morné Schreuder, 9 Jurie van Tonder, 8 Jacques Burger, 7 Herman Lintvelt, 6 Schalk van der Merwe, 5 Domingo Kamonga, 4 Johannes Theron, 3 Martyn Jearry, 2 Cor van Tonder, 1 Kees Lensing.
Replacements: 16 Pieter Rossouw, 17 Niel Swanepoel, 18 Rodger Thompson, 19 René Kruger, 20 Ivan Gay, 21 Rheder van Wyk, 22 Michael Mackenzie.

Coaches: Danie Vermeulen, Gielie Vermeulen
Manager: Sarel Losper
Biokenticist: Henry Boshoff
Doctor: Barend Viljoen

Morocco: 15 A Chamid, 14 M El Haijji, 13 Younes Derraz, 12 G Chamid, 11 R Zine, 10 Thomas Garcia, 9 Jaouad Eziyar, 8 Abdellatif Boutaty, 7 Matthias Garcia, 6 Hicham Housni, 5 Y Wazzawi, 4 Nourredine Salmi, 3 A Bayay, 2 Jalil Narjissi, 1 Mounir Jaoui.
Replacements: 20 Mouchine Ouajdi, 21 Yousri Faik, 22 Mohammed Dermouni

Doctor: L Picouza
Physiotherapist: B Delbreil

Date: 13 November 2004
Venue: Hage Geingob Stadium, Windhoek
Expected weather conditions: Rain with a high of 18°C dropping to 14°C and little wind
Referee: Eugene Daniels (South Africa)
Touch judges: Louis Mzomba, Jerome America (both South Africa)
Match commissioner: Paul Sigombe (Uganda)