Tanzania shines with win in ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier

Tanzania celebrated a remarkable victory at home by winning the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier after ten days of intense competition in Dar es Salaam.

The final match, played on Sunday, saw Tanzania face off against Sierra Leone, both of whom had already secured their spots in next year’s Africa Qualifier by winning their respective semi-finals. With hopes of completing the tournament unbeaten, the two teams clashed in a rain-affected game.

Sierra Leone won the toss and chose to bowl first. Tanzania's openers, Dylan Thakrar and Darpan Jobanputra, started strong with a 48-run partnership before Jobanputra was dismissed for 21. This triggered a mini-collapse, and Tanzania found themselves at 57 for four by the 14th over. However, contributions from captain Laksh Bakrania (24) and Mohamed Mbaki (29) helped Tanzania post a competitive total of 178 for eight in their 50 overs.

Rain altered the course of the match, reducing Sierra Leone's target to 135 runs from 29 overs. Tanzania's bowlers took full advantage of the conditions, with Khalidy Juma, Hamza Onai, and Bakrania ripping through Sierra Leone's top order, leaving them at 20 for five after the first 10 overs. Despite a brief recovery led by Sahr Lebbie (30) and James Bangura (16), Sierra Leone could only manage 98 for eight, falling 36 runs short (D/L method).

Tanzania’s captain, Laksh Bakrania, expressed his joy after the victory.

“It's a dream come true, but the journey has just begun. We don't want to do anything different but just keep the basics right.

“It was important to bring smiles to the faces of our fans who supported us throughout the tournament and came in such big numbers today for the final. We still can't believe and express how we feel.

“I thank our coaches, all support staff, and my teammates. We couldn't have asked for more. Many thanks to our management for providing us with the best resources going into this tournament," Laksh said.

Sierra Leone’s captain, Raymond Coker, despite his team’s loss, was named Player of the Tournament for his outstanding performances, including three Player of the Match awards, 14 wickets, and 97 runs.

In the third-place playoff, Nigeria secured the final spot in the Africa Qualifier by dominating Rwanda. Nigeria bowled out Rwanda for just 45 runs, with skipper Gafar Kareem taking four wickets for eight runs. Nigeria chased down the target comfortably, winning by seven wickets.

With these results, the Africa Qualifier will feature Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, and Uganda, who will compete for a place in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026.