- Nigeria 73/8 in 20 Overs (Kehinde Amusa 33(54), Salome Sanday (13(25) | Kevin Amuge 1/6, Janet Mbabazi 4/16)
- Uganda 68 all out in 20 Overs (Immaculate Nakisuyi 13(23), Esther Iloku 15(31) | Anointed Akhigbe 3/2, Racheal Samson 3/17)
- Nigeria won by 5 runs
In a gripping upset at the Gahanga Main Oval on Wednesday morning, Nigeria handed Uganda’s Victoria Pearls their first loss of the 2025 Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament, winning by a narrow margin of five runs and ending Uganda’s unbeaten run in dramatic fashion.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Uganda’s decision backfired as Nigeria held firm, grinding out a modest but competitive total of 73 for 8 in 20 overs.
The Nigerian innings was anchored by a composed knock from Sarah Etim (25), supported by Salome Sunday (17) and opener Esther Sandy (13).
Despite a triple strike from Uganda’s Janet Mbabazi (3/15), Nigeria found just enough runs on a challenging surface.
Uganda’s chase, however, unravelled under pressure. Lilian Ude (2/10), Anointed Akhigbe (3/12) and Racheal Samson (3/17) formed a lethal bowling trio, ripping through Uganda’s batting lineup with relentless accuracy.
Only Immaculate Nakisuuyi (14) and Esther Iloku (12) reached double figures as Uganda crumbled for 68 in the final over, just five runs shy of their target.
The collapse was marked by poor shot selection and three run-outs, including a critical one involving the in-form Rita Musamali.
Anointed Akhigbe’s final-over heroics sealed the win with two wickets in three balls, sending the Nigerian camp into celebration and leaving the Pearls to reflect on costly errors.
It was a match Uganda would have expected to win comfortably, especially after their dominant showings earlier in the tournament.
But Nigeria, one teams with the best bowling defenses and yet underrated, delivered a disciplined and spirited performance that rattled the tournament’s front-runners and injected fresh unpredictability into the competition on who will make it to the semifinals.
With the win, Nigeria not only revived their campaign but also issued a strong warning to the rest of the field. However, this was the West African’s second win against the East African side in less than 18 months in the Africa games.
Uganda now looks to bounce back on Thursday, June 12, in a rivalry-fueled showdown against hosts Rwanda, a fixture brimming with regional rivalry and redemption potential.
