Rwanda U19 women’s cricket head coach Adelin Tuyizere is confident his team can secure Africa’s lone ticket to the 2027 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Rwanda’s World Cup qualification campaign begins on Sunday, August 30, at the Africa Division 1 tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which runs until September 5. The eight participating teams have been divided into two groups. Rwanda are in Group A alongside Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya, while Group B features Nigeria, Uganda, hosts Tanzania and Malawi. ALSO READ: ICC World Cup qualifiers: Rwanda U19 still hungry despite securing next-stage Tuyizere believes Rwanda’s previous encounters with their group opponents give his players valuable experience heading into the competition, while Zimbabwe’s previous World Cup appearance provides additional motivation. “Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya are teams that we have played before, and that gives us the whole opportunity in the world to give it a go,” Tuyizere said. “Having been at the World Cup will be the motivation going into this particular tournament,” he added. Rwanda will open their campaign against Zimbabwe on Sunday at 2pm at the NTS Group TCA Arena before taking on Namibia on Monday. They will conclude the group stage against Kenya on September 2. Despite the significance of the matches, Tuyizere wants his players to remain focused on the task immediately in front of them. “Every game is a different game and we will take one game at a time. I’m looking at the players getting the best out of themselves, executing their roles and getting better every game,” he said. Confidence in Rwanda’s squad Tuyizere believes Rwanda have enough quality and determination to challenge for the qualification ticket. He singled out Fanny Utagushimaninde and Ruth Uwimana as players who are in good shape ahead of the tournament, while stressing that the entire squad will have an important role to play. “Fanny Utagushimaninde and Ruth are in good shape. I count on them, but on the whole squad as well. They are hungry to produce a good performance,” Tuyizere said. Fanny already has international experience, having made her senior T20I debut at a young age and delivered important performances for Rwanda. Chance to make history...again The tournament represents another major step in the development of women’s youth cricket in Rwanda, but the stakes are even higher, with the winner earning Africa’s only place at the 2027 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Rwanda will need to navigate a competitive group before turning their attention to the knockout stage. The semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday, September 3, with the first match starting at 9:30am and the second at 2pm. Placement matches will follow on Saturday, September 5, while the final is scheduled for 2pm. With Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya standing between Rwanda and the next stage, Tuyizere is counting on his players’ experience, discipline and hunger to produce a strong campaign. For now, however, his message remains simple: take it one game at a time.
