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Captain Jimia Abdallah Mohamed will lead Uganda’s Baby Victoria Pearls to Tanzania with the team chasing a place at the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The Baby Victoria Pearls were flagged off on Thursday at the Cricket Oval in Lugogo ahead of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier, which runs from August 28 to September 6 in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam.
National Council of Sports representative Sarah Chelangat handed the national flag to Jimia, signalling the start of Uganda’s latest attempt to break through at the junior level.
National Council of Sports representative Sarah Chelangat hands Flag to team Captain Jimia Abdallah Mohamed
Chelangat urged the players to represent Uganda with courage and pride, with Cricket Uganda Acting CEO Evelyn K.B. Shinyekwa, President Jackson Kavuma, and Head of High Performance and Pathways Richard Okia also present at the send-off.
Jimia will be one of the key figures in Uganda’s campaign, bringing experience from the previous qualification tournament. She will also have Sarah Tino, another player who featured in the previous edition, alongside her.
The two are expected to provide leadership to a squad that also includes several promising young players. Sheilah Namagoba is among those who have caught the eye in recent competitions after impressive performances in the Elite League, Girls Schools Cricket Week and the opening stages of the league.
Uganda heads to Dar es Salaam with unfinished business. In the previous qualification tournament in Rwanda, Nigeria booked the World Cup ticket after beating Zimbabwe in a final decided by the Duckworth Lewis Stern method. Uganda did not make it to the final, having also fallen short in Botswana in the previous edition.
Eight teams will compete for just one ticket to the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and Nepal. Uganda is in Group A with hosts Tanzania, Nigeria and Malawi, while Group B has Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya and Rwanda.
Head Coach Brian Masaba and assistant Ivan Kakande have spent the past weeks preparing the team for the challenge.
The squad went through an intense residential camp in Kololo, working on fitness, tactical execution and handling the crucial middle overs. Their preparations also included the High Performance Cup against Rwanda, where Uganda won all four matches.
Tino arrives in Tanzania in good form after being named MVP of the 2026 High Performance Cup, while Asha Mukite provides another important option with the ball.
The squad also features Shadiah Gilingish Nabulime, Rashidah Tikabula, Mischelle Ariago, Irene Mutonyi, Mary Namiiro, Elizabeth Acheng, Sheirah Namagoba, Mariam Biribawa, Blessing Noeline Apio, Joan Ilora and Devine Gabriella Nyamer. Hasfa Naula and Sonia Nampeera are the reserves.
Uganda begins its campaign against Nigeria on Sunday at 9:30am before facing hosts Tanzania on Monday afternoon. Malawi will provide the final group stage test on Wednesday.
The semi-finals are scheduled for September 3, with the final set for September 5 at 2pm.
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