Baby Victoria Pearls depart for U19 World Cup qualifier in Tanzania

Uganda's women's Under-19 cricket team, the Baby Victoria Pearls, is set to travel to Tanzania for the 2027 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier.

The tournament will run from August 28 to September 6 at the Tanzania Cricket Arena, located at the University of Dar es Salaam. The 2027 ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup itself will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.

The Ugandan contingent comprises 14 players and two reserves, who will depart aboard Uganda Airlines on Friday at 10:00 PM. Head Coach Brian Masaba, a former national team player, will be assisted by Ivan Kakande, while Cricket Uganda CEO Evelyn Shinyekwa will lead the delegation.

The eight-team qualifier is divided into two groups, with Uganda placed in Group A alongside hosts Tanzania, Nigeria, and Malawi. Group B comprises Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, and Rwanda. Uganda will open its campaign against Nigeria on Sunday morning before facing hosts Tanzania on Monday afternoon, and will conclude their group-stage matches against Malawi on Wednesday morning.

Team captain Jamia Mohammed Abdallah expressed optimism that Uganda can finally break through after suffering semi-final exits in the last two qualifiers in 2022 and 2023.

"Our training has been intensive. The girls are ready for this tournament and fully understand their responsibility of wearing the yellow colours of Uganda. We are aware of what happened in Botswana and Rwanda, where we stopped in the semi-finals, and we are looking at changing that history," said Jamia.

She added that although the squad includes several debutants, the team has studied opponents like Malawi and Nigeria and will approach every match with caution.

Assistant captain Shadia Nabulime highlighted the coaching staff's extensive work on batting, fielding, arm strength, and team cohesion.

"We are physically, technically, and mentally prepared to overturn matters after missing out in 2022 and 2023," Nabulime said after the team's flag-off.

Head Coach Brian Masaba drew confidence from the team's progress during an intensive training camp, particularly in fitness, fielding, and tactical execution.

"We know what is at stake, with only one slot available for the World Cup," said Masaba. Assistant Coach Ivan Kakande noted that the camp at Kololo produced a strong, focused side that was rigorously tested. "We played a friendly against Rwanda, coupled with eight high-intensity match-fitness games during the training camp," said Kakande.

Uganda will look to standout players such as 2026 High Performance Cup Series MVP Sarah Tino and leading wicket-taker Asha Mukite to anchor the team as they navigate high-pressure encounters against strong regional opposition.

The team was officially flagged off by Sarah Chelangat, Senior Sports Officer at the National Council of Sports, who urged the players to make the nation proud.

"I thank Cricket Uganda for abiding by the government's principle of a national and regional approach to sports development, as the team is comprised of players from different schools across the country," she said.

Chelangat also confirmed that the government has provided funding to support the team's participation in the qualifier.