Tanzania lift trophy, pick World Cup ticket as Nigeria, two others relegated

A stellar performance from Hamza Onai and Captain Laksh Bakrania against Sierra Leone at the University of Lagos Cricket Oval secured a commanding 98-run victory and earned Tanzania a spot in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.

This will be Tanzania’s debut appearance in the World Cup, a historic achievement for the ICC Associate country. Namibia and Zimbabwe are set to co-host the global tournament in 2026. Tanzania triumphed over five other nations to emerge as champions.

Tanzania topped the standings with 10 points from 5 matches, followed by Namibia in second with 8 points, and Kenya in third with 6 points. The bottom three teams—Nigeria, Uganda, and Sierra Leone—have been relegated to Division 2.

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Host nation Nigeria will play their final match against Uganda on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at the TBS Cricket Oval in Lagos.

The President of Nigeria Cricket Federation NCF, Mr. Uyi Akpata was proud of the Tanzanian team’s performance, expressing his trust that “Tanzania would be Africa’s great ambassadors at the World Cup.”

Tanzania, alongside ICC Full Member nations Zimbabwe and South Africa, will represent Africa in the international cricket competitions in 2026.