The U19 men’s cricket team will not treat their final ICC Men’s U19 World Cup qualifier against Uganda on Saturday, August 15 as a gala game despite already securing qualification for the next division. Rwanda booked their place in the next stage after winning three of their last four matches, with their victory over Ghana confirming their progression. Head coach Kenneth Bugingo said the team was pleased with the achievement but had already turned its attention to the final match. “We feel great. The most important thing was achieved we got the ticket for the next stage. I thank the guys because they worked hard and they wanted it. But we are not going to celebrate yet. We still have a last game.” Bugingo said the squad returned to training immediately, insisting that the final match against Uganda would be played with the same competitive mentality. “Tomorrow won’t be a gala game. We are competitors and Uganda are competitors as well. They will want to finish on a good note, as we want to, so it’s going to be a high game.” The next step for Rwanda will be Division One, although the coach said attention will first turn to the senior national team, which is scheduled to compete in an ICC match next month. He also identified Jasper Nziza and Fabrice Kwizera as two players from the current U19 squad who could potentially make the step up to the senior national team next year. Captain Jasper Nziza said qualification was a proud moment for the squad after their hard work throughout the campaign. “I feel very happy and proud of the team. We worked hard for this moment, and winning three of our last four games shows the commitment and improvement we've made.” For Elise Gihozo, qualification represents the reward for a year of preparation. “This qualification is huge for us. It shows all the hard work we’ve put in over the last year is paying off. For the team, it gives us confidence and proves that Rwanda U19 can compete at a higher level.” Despite securing qualification, Gihozo said Rwanda still wants to finish the tournament strongly. “The main target now is to finish top of the table. We want to win the tournament and go up with momentum.” Uganda have also enjoyed a perfect campaign, winning all four of their matches to secure their place in Division One. Saturday Fixtures 9:30: Rwanda vs Uganda — Gahanga Main Oval 9:30: Sierra Leone vs Nigeria — Gahanga B Oval 9:30: Ghana vs Mozambique — RP-Kigali Oval
