Nigeria and Uganda Secure Spots in ICC T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final
Nigeria and Uganda Advance to Regional Final
Nigeria and Uganda have both clinched their spots in the Africa Regional Final for the 2027 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after finishing in the top two of Sub-Regional Qualifier C. Nigeria achieved this feat impressively, winning all five of their matches on home turf, while Uganda secured second place with four victories. Both teams had already confirmed their advancement before their final match against each other, which ended in a nail-biting finish with Nigeria winning by just one run at the Nigerian Cricket Federation Oval No. 1.
Match Highlights and Historic Victory
In the decisive match, Nigeria batted first and scored 148 runs, with Isaac Danladi leading the charge with a score of 47. Uganda, in response, looked poised to chase down the target, bolstered by Riazat Ali Shah’s impressive 60 runs off just 35 balls. As the match reached its climax, Uganda needed six runs from the final over. Sylvester Okpe, who stepped in to bowl after Vincent Adewoye was injured, became the unexpected hero. The match came down to the last ball, with Uganda needing three runs for victory and two to tie. Unfortunately for Uganda, Juma Miyaji was run out while attempting a second run, leaving them just one run short and handing Nigeria a historic victory—their first win over Uganda in men’s T20 internationals.
Road to the 2028 T20 World Cup
With this victory, Nigeria and Uganda join Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, who had already qualified through the continent’s earlier Sub-Regional Qualifiers, making a total of six teams for Africa’s Regional Final on the path to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028. The top two teams from this qualifier will advance to a global qualifier. Namibia has already secured a spot in the global qualifier due to their participation in the 2026 T20 World Cup, while Zimbabwe has qualified for the 2028 T20 World Cup following their Super 8 finish in the same tournament earlier this year.