By Innocent Ndawula
Sunday, March 17 – 10.30am
Namibia vs. Nigeria, Wanderers Cricket Ground
Kenya vs. Uganda, Windhoek Affies Park
Sierra Leone vs. Tanzania, United Cricket Ground
Windhoek is buzzing. And it will get busier like a bumble bee once the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier bowls off tomorrow morning (Sunday) at the three sanctioned venues.
The tournament format offers no reprieve - a round robin format with each of the six nations in the continental qualifier playing each other once for the right to play in the Youth World Cup in South Africa next year.
In one phrase; every game is a final for all the teams in the competition.
For Uganda, it is even a chance to avenge and wipe away some of the tears the team shed when they lost to Kenya in the final fixture of the 2017 Africa Qualifier to miss the out on 2018 World Cup by the slimmest of margins - Net Run Rate (NRR).
The Baby Cricket Cranes, as Uganda’s U-19 Boys Cricket Team is called, arrived in Windhoek yesterday afternoon (Friday) aboard Ethiopian Airlines with two of their ‘enemies’; Kenya and Nigeria.
Whereas Kenya’s players only gave Team Uganda quick glares, the Nigerians warmed up to captain Frank Akankwasa and his boys; sharing quick handshakes and chats when the three teams linked up at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Russia-trained physiotherapist Habiba Kulsum Anguyo took the lads for a quick deep into the Safari Court Hotel swimming pool to shake off the 19-hour trip fatigue.
Coach Jackson Ogwang and his assistant Lawrence Ssematimba swung into action today for an enthralling training session to allow the lads acclimatise to alien conditions here with focus on the opening match against Kenya into perspective.
And against Kenya, Uganda have a score to settle and with six of the 14 players in the squad having been part of the side that unexpectedly lost in dramatic fashion in final game of the qualifier. Uganda got bowled out for 60 and Kenya chased the runs below 9.2 overs to surpass Uganda’s NRR by the slimmest of margins.
“We have prepared for this tournament over the last three months,” said Ogwang. “We also know what is at stake and the boys know their roles. They just have to execute and we wont fall short. I am not just looking at the game against Kenya, it is one game at a time for us until the five games end.”
But for Kenya’s coach Jimmy Kamande, it is a whole new world and history will not count for much.
“With the little experience I have, there is never an easy match in a tournament,” said the former Kenya World Cup skipper in 2011.
“But as a side that qualified for the last World Cup, we are confident of doing better than last time results-wise or even finish as champions. Everyone comes to such tournaments to win and we have to do our bit.”
Sukhdeep Singh is the only surviving member from the Kenya side that played in the World Cup showpiece in 2018 and has duly been rewarded by Cricket Kenya as the captain for the side here.
But talent at disposal at this particular event is above average and ICC have alread predicted that ‘it will be a fiercely contested affair throughout the week’.
Hosts and pre-tournament favourites Namibia will kick off their campaign against West African giants Namibia, who won the Division II qualifiers in Benoni, South Africa whereas Tanzania and Sierra Leone will contest in the third match of the opening day at Trustco United Cricket Ground.
The battle for supremacy in Namibia isn’t surely going to be for the faint-hearted.
SQUADS
Uganda
Frank Akankwasa, Zephaniah Arinaitwe, Ronald Opio, John Gabula, Trevor Bukenya, Pascal Murungi , Edwin Nuwugaba , Juma Miyaji, Ashraf Ssenkubuge, Ismail Munir, Simon Oketcho, Ramathan Ochimi, Perry Wazombe, Cosmas Kyetuwa.
Kenya
Sukhdeep Singh, Brij Patel, David Okaro, Dilan Shah, Francis Mutua, Hashit Vekaria, Jairaj Pujara, Krushil Savla, Pradyuman Joshi, Satish Hirani, Shay Shah, Shukan Mehta, Shukraj Ghataora, Vraj Patel
Namibia
Filippus Opperman, Dian Neethling, Divan la Cock, Robert Wilson, Erich Wittmann, Etienne Beukes, Henry Brink, Jan Izak de Villiers, Jan Balt, Matthew de Gouveia, Mauritius Ngupita, Mell Theunissen, Ramon Wilmot, Victor van der Watt
Nigeria
Sylvester Okpe, Mohammed Taiwo, Sulaimon Runsewe, Isaac Danladi, Olayinka Olaleye, Miracle Ikaige, Abdulrahman Jimoh, Peter Aho, Shehu Audu, Emmanuel Boniface, Akhere Isesele, Rasheed Abolarin, Samuel Mba, Ifeanyichukwu Uboh
Sierra Leone
George Ngegba, John Bangura, Eric Turay, Haroun Kamara, John Lassayo, Osman Sankoh, Emmanuel Akpor, Chernor Bah, Aruna Kanessie, Charles Kargbo, Samuel Conteh, James Tommy, Edmond Ernest, James Bangura
Tanzania
Krutik Thakkar, Kartik Sayal, Dhrumit Atul, Salimini Saidi, Abdallah Jamiri, Mohamed Issa, Abubakar Alfani, Faraji Mrope, Sefu Mokiwa, Yalinda Nkanya, Aahil Jasani, Kelvin Mbinda, Baraka Laiza, Ashish Shah