Wednesday fixtures 9.30am - Malawi Vs Eswatini 9.30am - Mozambique Vs Botswana 1.50pm - Lesotho Vs Kenya 1.50pm - Malawi Vs Sierra Leone All games take place at Gahanga Cricket Stadium Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) General Manager Emmanuel Byiringiro has said that everything has been put into place to host the Africa U19 Women's Cricket qualifier. The tournament kicks off at Gahanga Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, August 21, and will run until August 27. It will feature seven teams including Kenya, Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi, Eswatini, and Sierra Leone and it will be played under a round-robin format. According to Byiringiro, things are in order for the competition to start. ALSO READ: Mahatlane names squad for ICC U19 WC Africa qualifier We have got everything in place and we are just putting the final touches for the tournament, Byiringiro told Times Sport on Wednesday. This is the first time we are hosting U19 Women's qualifiers and this is the second edition of the World Cup we want to qualify for. We are proud to host other African countries here for them to see our progress and how far we have come. We want to help countries to develop their women's game, he added. What it means for Rwanda? “It’s always an honour for Rwanda to host such tournaments because it shows ICC's trust in us,” said RCA President Stephen Musaale. Speaking during the pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, Kenya’s U19 captain Melvin Khagoitsa said that her side’s wealth of experience should see them over the line. “We have a number of experienced players in the side and have prepared well for this tournament so we are confident that we will compete,” she said. At the end of the contest, the top two teams will advance to the next stage, where they will compete for that coveted lone slot at the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup in Malaysia and Thailand, against ICC full member side Zimbabwe and Africa’s top women’s cricketing nations in Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and hosts Rwanda. Rwanda will be aiming to secure qualification again for the World Cup after participating in the maiden edition in South Africa in 2023 where they reached the Super Six.
