By Denis Musali

Copyright kawowo

Tournament: T20 World Cup Qualifiers – Africa

Group B: Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Botswana

Dates: September 26 – October 4

Uganda Fixtures

Game 1: 26/09/2025 – Uganda v Zimbabwe – 2:50 pm (EAT)

Game 2: 28/09/2025 – Uganda v Tanzania – 10:30 am (EAT)

Game 3: 30/09/2025 – Uganda v Botswana – 10:30 am (EAT)

In 2023, everything came in full circle for the Cricket Cranes, the work put in from the Qualifiers post-COVID in 2021, after the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Kampala.

Uganda had been embarrassed at home, finishing a low fourth due to losses to Kenya and Namibia, plus the weather; they couldn’t even benefit from the luck of Zimbabwe missing out due to governance issues. Nigeria, which finished third, took up the other African slot.

However, that was a team starting to find its feet in a format that was still new to Ugandan culture. Only Roger Mukasa could hit a cricket ball in anger and with precision in the team. Zephaniah Arinaitwe had just stepped up from the U19; he was one for the future, Riazat Ali Shah was on debut and Rogers Olipa was thrown in the deep end and Henry Ssenyondo was learning on the job. Uganda ended up being relegated to the second division of cricket in Africa.

In 2021, the team was starting all over again. Lawrence Mahatlane was in charge, Brian Masaba was leading the team, Simon Ssesazi had reinvented himself, Riazat Ali Shah had matured, and Dinesh Nakrani was the ex-factor.

Uganda had to go through the likes of Seychelles to get back to the top, winning the Division 2 qualifiers but defeating Kenya to win the Division 1 in a rain-affected game, signalled a shift in the balance of power. Those results led them to a path to Zimbabwe in 2022 for the T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers, and the humbling gave the team another reality check that a lot of work has been done, but a lot needs to be done.

In 2023, despite off-field distractions, everything came full circle in Namibia, beating Zimbabwe in the round robin games to ensure that from thereon their fate was in their own hands. The side had players who had been there from the beginning in 2019 like Roger Mukasa, Brian Masaba, Riazat Ali Shah, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo and for whom the World Cup was worth the wait.

The team now returns to Zimbabwe, a place where it all started in 2022 before the climax in Namibia in 2023. The mission is now greater because Uganda has a target on its back to prove that the first time was not a fluke but a result of lots of hard work. Uganda is in a group that includes the hosts, Zimbabwe, who will have revenge on their minds to set the record straight. Uganda’s win against Zimbabwe in 2023 was its first against a test-playing nation and attracted global media attention, something that is still on the throat of the Chevrons.

Zimbabwe is ranked 12th in the World and leading up to the World Cup, they have been playing the big guns as part of the preparation. They have played test series against South Africa, New Zealand and white ball series against Sri Lanka and Namibia and despite going down against the big teams, they have shown hunger to do well this time.

The return of Sean Williams and Brendan Taylor is a sign that Zimbabwe are leaving nothing to chance and has learned from the last qualifiers. Zimbabwe has the advantage of being the host and with the 12th man behind them, they are favourites to clinch one of the two available spots to the World Cup.

Zimbabwe have a strong leader, Sikander Raza, who has experience of having played all over the globe. He can be ice cold in tense moments, and everything will be on him to deliver a World Cup on home soil. This could also be the last dance for a generation of players; therefore, there is everything to lose for the hosts, Zimbabwe.

If the bowling can back up the strong batting line that Zimbabwe has, then it will be game set and World Cup for the hosts. Therefore, players such as Blessing Muzarabi, Richard Ngarava, and Wellington Masakadza will have their work cut out against strong batters from other teams.

In the lead-up to the tournament, a quote made media rounds that for Zimbabwe, the mission is to put everyone in their place.

Tanzania has been preparing quietly, but they also hold a grudge against Uganda since that get-out-of-jail-free win in the final of the Africa Cup in 2022, but the East Africans are very dangerous; they know how to win T20 games, and their 34th ranking is far from their ability. Kasim Nassoro Chete is now in charge, but he has a lot of experience in the team that if you don’t show up, they will walk past you. Abhik Patwa returns to the team and his experience at the top of the order with the hard-hitting Ivan Suleiman has destroyed bowling attacks in the past but they will need some grit in the middle, in case the top doesn’t hold. The senior boys could pick some inspiration from the U-19 boys who qualified for their maiden World Cup early this year.

The “Pula Boys” from Botswana will need to work hard not to be on the wrong side of big totals. They came through the qualifier in Nigeria, they are ranked 47th in the World, and they don’t play a lot of international cricket outside of ICC events.

However, they are not without spirit; they have a great leader of men Karabo Mothlanka and if the rest of the ship can support him, they can hold their own. They have good batters; their weakness is a thin bowling unit that might be consistent enough to pin down a strong batting lineup. It will be difficult for them to get out of the group, but we have lived long enough to know strange things can happen.

The math is simple for anyone in Group B, considering the teams in the group, all you have to do is top the group and you might have a foot in the World Cup. You can avoid Namibia from Group A; whoever finishes second in Group A can be beaten by the top 3 sides in Group B.