Uganda secured its place in a global cricket tournament for the first time after beating Rwanda in African qualifying for next year’s T20 World Cup.
The country of 50 million in East Africa got into the expanded 20-team competition, being co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June, at the expense of Zimbabwe — an established cricketing nation.
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Uganda defeated Zimbabwe by five wickets on Sunday for its first ever win over a Full Member team in a T20 international, and followed that up by dismissing Rwanda for 65 then reaching its target in 8.1 overs in Windhoek, Namibia.
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“It is pretty surreal,” Uganda captain Brian Masaba said.
“I can’t put words to the emotions we are feeling now as a team. It’s massive for Ugandan cricket and huge for African cricket, especially, for a country like Uganda to make it to the World Cup.”
Namibia has also advanced through African qualifying to complete a lineup of teams that also contains Oman, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Canada. The United States qualifies through being a host country.
Uganda has been an associate member of the ICC since 1998 but does not have test or ODI status.