Kampala, August 6
The Baby Cricket Cranes are set to embark on a defining mission in Kigali, Rwanda, as they begin their quest to secure Uganda’s fourth appearance at the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The 14-man squad departs tomorrow Friday, August 7, ahead of the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier, scheduled for August 7-16, where the immediate objective is to regain Division One status and keep Uganda’s World Cup dream alive.
Uganda enters the tournament determined to bounce back after suffering relegation from Division One for the first time in the country’s history during the previous qualifiers in Lagos, Nigeria.
Rather than dwell on that disappointment, the Baby Cricket Cranes have embraced it as motivation to rebuild and return stronger.
The preparations have been extensive.
The team has completed three intensive training camps, beginning with one in Fort Portal following last year’s Skyview Boys Schools Cricket Week before further residential camps in Jinja and Kampala ahead of the Kigali assignment.
They also impressed in the High-Performance Cup Series, defeating Rwanda U-19 and the Uganda Emerging XI to scoop overall honours at the tournament and build valuable match confidence.
As the Baby Cricket Cranes head to Rwanda, the mission is straightforward: earn promotion back to Africa Division One and remain on course for another appearance on the global stage.
Road Back
Uganda has previously qualified for the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup three times – in 2004 (Dhaka, Bangladesh), 2006 (Colombo, Sri Lanka) and 2022 (West Indies).
Their finest campaign came in the Caribbean, where the Baby Cricket Cranes defeated Scotland to finish 13th overall.
Uganda has also won the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier twice, in 2009 and 2021, while finishing runners-up on four occasions.
This year’s Africa Division Two Qualifier features hosts Rwanda alongside Nigeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Uganda, with the top two teams set to earn qualification to the final Africa Division One Qualifier on the road to the 2028 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Matches will be played at the Gahanga Main Ground, Gahanga B Oval and the IPRC Cricket Oval in Kigali.
Uganda begins its campaign against Nigeria on August 9 before facing Mozambique (August 10), Ghana (August 12), Sierra Leone (August 13) and hosts Rwanda (August 15).
Coach Confident
Head coach Grace Mutyagaba believes the squad has prepared well and is ready to embrace the challenge ahead.
“The boys are ready for this challenge and have shown great enthusiasm throughout our preparations. We have spent the last few weeks working on key areas, especially improving our approach against spin, strengthening our combinations and building stronger batting and bowling partnerships.
“We understand the importance of this tournament because Uganda wants to return to Division One. After a thorough selection process, we believe we have assembled a strong 14-man squad, supported by two capable reserves.
“The team has bonded well and, with the support of Cricket Uganda and all our stakeholders, we are confident the boys can deliver and achieve our objective of qualification.”
Captain Ready
Captain Daniel Rubangakene believes Uganda’s batting depth will be one of the team’s biggest strengths in Kigali.
“Our biggest strength is our batting. We have players who can bat from number one all the way to number nine. We thank Cricket Uganda for the support, and we want to assure our fans that we shall fight to win every game in Kigali.”
The Baby Cricket Cranes squad combines exciting young talent from across Uganda, with the team management confident that the exposure gained through the High-Performance Cup and recent training camps has prepared the players for the demands of international qualification cricket.
For Uganda’s next generation of cricketers, Kigali is an opportunity to restore Uganda’s place among Africa’s leading youth cricket nations and take another step towards the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Mission Kigali
The Baby Cricket Cranes travel to Rwanda carrying the hopes of a cricket-loving nation with promotion back to Division One is the immediate goal. A historic fourth ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup appearance is the dream.
The journey begins in Kigali.
UGANDA U-19 SQUAD TO KIGALI
- Ronald Rubangakene
- Samuel Ahaisibwe
- Devansh Patel
- Robert Owilli (Wicketkeeper)
- Abraiz Ali
- Richard Sohera
- Daniel Rubangakene (Captain)
- Jackson Asiku
- Kenneth Isiko
- Adam Kassim
- Felix Ochan
- Eric Mukisa
- Larry Itagi
- Hamidu Munigwa
Non- Travelling Reserves:
- Ryan Agaba
- Ben Solomon Mulindwa
The Technical Team
Head Coach: Grace Mutyagaba Assistant Coach: Jonathan Sebanja Physiotherapist: Habiba Kulthum Anguyo Analyst: Jeff Mwesigwa Kasozi
Media Manager: Ivan Cyprian Sajjabi
Team Manager: Sylvester Rokani
UGANDA U-19 FIXTURES IN RWANDA
August 9, 2026: Uganda U-19 vs Nigeria U-19 August 10, 2026: Uganda U-19 vs Mozambique U-19 August 12, 2026: Uganda U-19 vs Ghana U-19 August 13, 2026: Uganda U-19 vs Sierra Leone U-19 August 15, 2026: Uganda U19 vs Rwanda U19 Please Note: All Games 10.30AM (EAT)
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