he Cricket Cranes arrive at the ILT20 Continent Cup carrying the weight of defending two successive titles, but also the excitement of a squad being given a fresh look.
Uganda open their campaign against Sierra Leone at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium today, beginning a tournament in which the defending champions want to blend youth, experience and a winning mentality ahead of next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier in Nigeria.
Steve Tikolo’s troops arrived in Kigali on Sunday morning after a 12-hour bus journey from Lugogo and have since had two days to recover, bond and acclimatise to the conditions.
Assistant coach Jackson Ogwang believes even the long journey served a purpose.
‘The bus ride helped us gel. It was a bonding session,’ Ogwang said.
That togetherness will be important for a Uganda side that has undergone significant changes after the team’s recent 50-over campaign in Tanzania.
Seven emerging players who have already been exposed to the national setup have been included as the technical team seeks to widen the T20 player pool.
But Uganda are not short of experience.
Captain Riazat Ali Shah and vice-captain Kenneth Waiswa remain at the heart of the side, while players such as Juma Miyaji, Cosmas Kyewuta and Joseph Baguma provide an established international spine.
New blood, old ambition
Convenor of Selectors Nehal Bibodi said the changes are part of a deliberate plan to prepare Uganda for the future.
‘We have selected a little younger side, so we are looking into the future. It is a combination of the senior side at the same time with very promising young players,’ Bibodi said.
Yet there is no room for a learning-at-all-costs approach.
Bibodi has demanded nothing less than another title, setting the bar high for the new-look group.
‘We are expecting this team to do well in the tournament – nothing less than winning the tournament,’ he said.
That expectation reflects Uganda’s standing in the competition.
The Cranes won the inaugural Continental Cup in Nairobi in 2023 before successfully defending their crown in Kigali in 2024. The competition was not held last year.
Ogwang believes Uganda’s T20I ranking of 21 should also give the players confidence.
‘Our T20I ranking of number 21 tells the story that we are the big boys here and we want to play as that despite us bringing a young squad,’ he said.
Sierra Leone test
Sierra Leone will provide the first examination of that confidence.
The West Africans arrived in Kigali on Monday night and immediately faced a tough opening assignment against Kenya on Tuesday, with the East Africans posting 204 in their 20 overs.
Uganda, meanwhile, had already enjoyed a full training session at Gahanga on Monday, working through all departments and adapting to the hot Kigali conditions.
That preparation gives Uganda a chance to start sharply against opponents who will have had less time to settle.
For Waiswa, however, Uganda cannot afford to read too much into their opponents’ opening result.
The hunted
‘The guys are hungry to deliver. And we have practiced well for this and would also love to continue doing well as we prepare for the Nigeria showdown,’ the vice-captain said.
‘Everyone will want to beat us but for us our goal is to win the third successive title.’
Uganda face Sierra Leone today before continuing their league campaign against Botswana, Rwanda and Kenya before the latter stages.
The top four advance to the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for September 19 at Gahanga Main Oval.
For a team that has already conquered this competition twice, the challenge is not simply to win again.
It is to discover whether the next generation can carry the same standard.
And against Sierra Leone today, that journey begins.
ILT20 CONTINENT CUP
Today’s Fixture
Uganda vs. Sierra Leone,
10am, Gahanga Stadium
CHRONOLOGY
Format: League
Rounds: 2
Teams: 5
Top two: Final
Date: September 19
Venue: Gahanga Cricket Stadium