Rwanda Bows Out of ACA T20 Cup Finals

17 December 2023
The New Times (Kigali)
By Hamza Nkuutu

Rwanda's slim hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the ACA T20 Cup Finals League came to a shocking ended with a 5-wickets defeat at the hands of Mozambique on Sunday at Willowmoore Park in Binoni, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Having started the tournament with victory over defending champions Uganda, Lee Booth's team failed to build on that momentum as they went on to lose the next two games first against Malawi by 53 runs on Saturday, December 16, and Mozambique on Sunday, thereby seeing their journey come to an end on a disappointing note.

Rwanda finish bottom of Group A with 2 points from three matches, while Uganda and Malawi, both on four points, progress to the knockout stage where they will faceoff with Kenya and Botswana, who qualified from Group B.

Unlike in the defeat to Malawi on Saturday when Rwanda captain Clinton Rubagumya won the toss and chose to bowl, on Sunday, he again won the toss but elected to bat.

Opener, Hamza Khan, who was superb on Saturday with 48 runs, was removed against Mozambique for duck having faced seven balls, while Kevin Irakoze (4 off 5) and Didier Ndikubwimana (4 off 2 balls) followed him to the stands shortly.

Oscar Manishimwe hit 25 runs including 4 fours off 21 balls and Wilson Niyitanga (21 off 31) brought some sort of stability, while Emmanuel Sebareme top-scored with 31 off 33 balls but, after those three were removed, the lower order of Martin Akayezu (5 off 9), Zappy Bimeyimana (0), Nadir Muhammad (8 off 8) and Eric Kubwimana (0 not out) managed just 13 runs as Rwanda ended on 105 in 20 overs.

Camate Ropouto picked three wickets from 3 overs, Danco Macome had 2 from 3 overs, while Francisco Damino, Jose Hud and Viera Tembo took one wicket each.

In reply, opener Damino led Mozambique's chase with 29 runs including 2 sixes and 2 fours off 24 balls before he was caught by Khan off the bowling of Sebareme.

Lourenzo Solomone (17 off 26 not out), Tembo (15 off 16), Mario Manjate (8 off 17), Farruque Nhaduate (8 off 6) and Filipe Cossa scored 17 runs off 12 balls as the southern African side reached the target in 16.5 overs with 5 wickets in hand, to end their campaign with victory that took them above Rwanda.

Overall, Lee Booth's men have had a very difficult three weeks in Southern Africa, having connected to Johannesburg from Namibia where they participated in the 2024 T20 World Cup qualification and left without winning a single game. Uganda and Namibia made it through as Africa's representatives.

Rwanda 105/9 (20.0 /20 ov) vs Mozambique 106/5 (16.5 /20 ov)

Mozambique won by 5 wickets

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