The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional A Qualifier kicked off on Thursday in Kigali, Rwanda.
There are 16 nations competing across two groups, with Group A action comprising of Malawi, Botswana, Kenya, Mali, Seychelles, Lesotho, St Helena and the hosts.
On the back of a thrilling Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, where there were plenty of upsets, there is a renewed sense of optimism and anticipation ahead of this tournament in Kigali.
“This tournament is the beginning of the pathway that ultimately leads African teams to the T20 World Cup,” Patricia Kambarami, ICC Regional Development Manager for Africa commented.
“These players would have seen nations like Namibia and the Netherlands competing and indeed winning in a World Cup and realized that their own dreams are not too far away,” she continued.
The action in Group B will start in early December, but the first day of Group A action has some interesting tussles in store. Hosts Rwanda will get the tournament going against Botswana at Gahanga, while Lesotho and Mali will play on the IPRC facility.
In afternoon action, Kenya will fancy their chances against the developing St Helena, and Malawi and the Seychelles will square off in further afternoon action from IPRC.
At the end of these group fixtures, two qualifiers from each group will join Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe in the Africa qualifier proper next year where two teams will gain direct qualification to the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024.
This tournament is an important step for teams looking to make their mark for Africa. The hosting nation has been preparing for weeks, and now the action in Kigali can begin in earnest.
