Rwanda’s road to the World Cup ended in disappointment, but Nigeria walked away from Tanzania with Africa’s top prize after being crowned champions of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier on Saturday. Nigeria survived a four-run thriller against Zimbabwe in a final that went down to the last over, securing the title and a place at the 2027 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. After posting 98/6 in 20 overs, Nigeria held their nerve as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 94 in 19.5 overs to seal a narrow victory. ALSO READ: Nigeria end Rwanda's U19 Women's T20 World Cup dream Rwanda, meanwhile, finished fourth after losing the third-place play-off to Uganda by seven wickets. The hosts were restricted to 73/9 in 20 overs, before Uganda reached 74/3 in 16.1 overs to complete a comfortable victory. Rwanda’s campaign began with a 51-run defeat to Zimbabwe, but the young side bounced back strongly, beating Namibia by 82 runs and Kenya by five wickets to reach the semi-finals. Their World Cup hopes were, however, ended by eventual champions Nigeria, who secured a nine-wicket victory after bowling Rwanda out for 65. Although Rwanda missed out on a World Cup ticket, reaching the semi-finals represents a significant step forward for a developing women’s U19 side. The campaign provided valuable international experience for the players while also highlighting areas that need improvement as Rwanda continues to develop its next generation of national team cricketers.
