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Victoria Pearls returned to the final stage in style, beating hosts Namibia by 17 runs to win the 2026 Quadrangular Capricorn Series and show their growing status among Africa’s leading women’s cricket teams.
While many Ugandans had set sights the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Victoria Pearls were quietly chasing silverware in Windhoek, Namibia.
The tournament, played from July 21 to 30, brought together Uganda, Namibia, Tanzania and Hong Kong-China in a double round-robin format before the top two teams met in the final.
It was Uganda’s first international assignment of 2026. Their last trip outside the country had been the Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy in Thailand in November 2025, where they finished sixth. They also missed this year’s Kwibuka Tournament, making the Capricorn Series their only chance to compete internationally this season.
The Victoria Pearls made it count, winning all four matches against Hong Kong-China and Tanzania, losing only twice to Namibia in the group stage before earning another shot at the hosts in the final.
One of those victories came in emotional circumstances against Tanzania. Uganda were comfortably placed at 116 for two after 16.4 overs when Tanzanian fielders Nasra Saidi and Hudaa Omary collided heavily while chasing the ball.
One player was knocked unconscious and carried off on a stretcher, while the other limped off the field. Both were rushed to hospital, prompting a shaken Tanzanian side to forfeit the remainder of the match as player welfare took priority.
The result confirmed Uganda’s place in the final, where they produced their best performance of the tournament.
Head coach Dues Muhumuza and assistant coach Brian Masaba watched their side play with confidence and composure against a Namibian team that had beaten them twice earlier in the competition.
After losing the toss, Uganda were asked to bat first and captain Janet Mbabazi led by example. She anchored the innings with a classy 61 off 56 balls, hitting nine boundaries, while Stephanie Nampiina provided a fast start with 27 from just 16 deliveries.
When Uganda briefly stumbled from 62 for one to 104 for three, Ritah Musamali and Esther Iloku calmly rebuilt the innings. Musamali finished unbeaten on 31, Iloku added an unbeaten 15, and Uganda closed on a competitive 146 for three.
Namibia started their chase steadily through captain Sunè Wittmann and Mezerly Gorases, but Uganda’s bowlers never allowed the hosts to settle.
Consylate Aweko produced the breakthrough spell, taking three wickets for 20 runs, while Malisa Ariokot claimed two wickets. Youngster Asumin Akurut, one of the new faces in the squad, removed the dangerous Wittmann for 33 to swing the contest firmly Uganda’s way.
Namibia eventually finished on 129 for six, handing Uganda a deserved 17 run victory and the tournament title.
Uganda’s fielding was equally impressive. Esther Iloku completed a sharp stumping, while Janet Mbabazi, Rita Musamali and Malisa Ariokot held crucial catches as the Victoria Pearls maintained pressure throughout the innings.
The title was built on some strong performances for the Pearls, Immaculate Nakisuuyi played some of Uganda’s most explosive innings, including an unbeaten 43 off 22 balls against Namibia and 33 off 21 against Tanzania.
Mbabazi consistently delivered with both leadership and the bat including bagging the Player of the Match in the final with 61 runs off 56 balls, while Proscovia Alako laid the foundation for Uganda’s campaign with a match winning 38 against Hong Kong-China.
Musamali also stepped up when it mattered, scoring 37 against Tanzania before finishing the final unbeaten, while bowlers Sarah Walaza and Irene Mutonyi kept things tight throughout the tournament with disciplined spells.
The tournament also marked the Uganda’s recall of Baby Victoria Pearls players Jimia Mohammed Abdallah and Asumin Akurut into the senior squad.
Jimia came in to replace long-serving wicketkeeper Kevin Awino, although Esther Iloku kept wicket throughout the tournament. Kulume replaced Naume Jane Amogin, while Akurut justified her selection with an important wicket in the final.
Beyond lifting the trophy, the victory could have a lasting impact on Uganda’s future.
Every T20I win contributes to a team’s ICC ranking through a rating system based on the strength of the opposition. Beating a side like Namibia is expected to improve Uganda’s points tally and strengthen the Victoria Pearls’ long term push towards gaining One Day International (ODI) status, a milestone also not yet achieved neither by them or Uganda’s men’s team (Cricket Cranes), too distant but near.
In the ICC women t20 rankings, Uganda’s Victoria Pearls are 17th behind Zimbabwe Women who lay 16th.
To summarize it all, the team that had waited months for an international assignment, the trip to Windhoek could hardly have gone any better since Victoria Pearls are set to return home to play the Cricket Uganda Women National League under their respective teams with renewed belief that they are moving in the right direction.
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