Uganda qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 for the first time in the African Qualifiers regional finals on Thursday. It was a watershed moment in Ugandan and African cricket. The 20 teams for the ICC World Cup T20 2024 group stages, which will begin on June 4 and end on June 30, have been finalised.
Uganda, also known as the “Cranes,” moved up to second place in the standings after defeating Rwanda by nine wickets on Thursday, trailing only Namibia, who had already qualified. Crane’s victory also ended Kenya and Zimbabwe’s chances of competing in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024. Despite defeating Kenya by 110 runs, Zimbabwe was denied a seventh appearance in the African Qualifiers because Uganda finished two points ahead of Zimbabwe. After defeating Rwanda, Uganda became the fifth African nation to compete in the T20 World Cup.
“It appears a little strange,” Uganda captain Brian Msaba said. “I am at a loss for words to describe how our team is feeling right now. It is significant for both African and Ugandan cricket. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes to get us to this point. Four or five years of sacrifice—years of labor and struggle—have passed. It was very special to have the fans join in on the festivities.”
“I think the entire world recognizes there is a lot of potential outside of the big nations,” he said, adding, “I hope the government and sponsors can get behind this.”
The 2024 edition of the ICC World Cup T20 will see 20 nations fighting out for the cup, where the 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five, with the top two advancing to the Super 8 stage.
Following that, the super-8s will be divided into two pools of four teams, with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals.
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