The ICC U19 Women’s World Cup Africa Qualifiers concluded dramatically as Nigeria emerged as the continental champions, while Uganda lost out to hosts Rwanda in the third-place playoff to finish fourth.
Nigeria were crowned champions after their final against Zimbabwe was abandoned due to rain, with the former declared winners based on their superior group stage performance.
The West African side will now represent Africa in the 2025 ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to take place in Malaysia from January 18 to February 2, 2025.
Nigeria’s unbeaten run throughout the tournament proved decisive. The team’s outstanding performance in the group stage, which included victories over Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, set the stage for their eventual triumph.
Their path to glory was further cemented by a crucial semifinal win against the host nation, Rwanda.
While Nigeria celebrated, Uganda’s Baby Victoria Pearls faced disappointment in their bid for a bronze medal. In a low-scoring 3rd Place Playoff against hosts Rwanda, Uganda fell short by 3 wickets.
Uganda’s batting lineup struggled, managing only 71 runs before being bowled out.
Patricia Timong stood out with 19 runs, while Lorna Anyait contributed 13, but the team’s overall performance with the bat was lacklustre.
Rwanda’s solid response in the run chase proved too much for Uganda to overcome, despite an impressive bowling performance by Mitchelle Ariago, who took 2 wickets for just 7 runs in her tournament debut.
As Nigeria prepares for their World Cup journey, Uganda returns home with valuable lessons learned.
The tournament has highlighted areas for improvement in Uganda’s youth cricket program, particularly in batting consistency and mental resilience following tough losses.
The Baby Victoria Pearls started their campaign with critical wins over Namibia, Kenya and Rwanda to top Group A but then struggled in the latter stages, losing to Zimbabwe in the semi-finals and Rwanda in the third-place playoff.
