Fresh off a triumphant home run at the Women’s Day T20I Cup in Entebbe, the Victoria Pearls are back on foreign soil with renewed belief as they kick off the 2025 Capricorn Eagles Series today in Windhoek, Namibia.
The opening match at the High-Performance Cricket Oval will bowl off at 3 PM Ugandan time, marking the beginning of a six-game T20 bilateral series between Uganda and hosts Namibia.
The series, which runs until April 17, will also, for the first time ever, feature a One Day International (ODI) match, to be played on the final day.
Memories of a winless 2022 edition are still fresh, when Uganda failed to pick up a single victory in six outings.
However, the tide has since turned. Uganda claimed the title in 2023 and returned to Entebbe just two weeks ago with another trophy in hand, having defeated Namibia twice in commanding fashion; by 74 runs and 8 wickets respectively, during the Women’s Day Cup.
The return of experienced cricket minds in the technical area, with former Cricket Cranes all-rounder Deus Muhumuza as head coach and former captain Brian Masaba as his assistant, has added tactical depth to the team.
Their leadership will be crucial in helping the Pearls maintain their dominance over a Namibia side desperate for revenge on home turf.
Uganda, ranked 18th in the ICC Women’s T20I global standings, trails Namibia by just a single place and two points. The series, therefore, carries not only pride and revenge, but ranking implications as well.
There have been a few changes in the traveling squad. Proscovia Alako and Patricia Malemekia have been left out, with Shakira Saddick and Evelyn Anyipo earning recalls to the side.
As the only two nations involved in this year’s Capricorn Eagles Series unlike the previous editions that featured multiple teams, the Victoria Pearls will be looking to assert their strength over Namibia and walk away with another international crown.
