Ghana’s U19 men’s cricket team has been eliminated from contention for the 2026 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka.
The Young Gunns suffered a significant setback on August 6, 2024, when they lost by 119 runs to Nigeria in the ICC U19 Men’s Africa Division 2 Qualifiers held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The Ghanaian team had hoped to replicate its impressive 2016 performance when it finished undefeated in the division.
That success earned them a spot in the 2017 ICC U19 Men’s Africa Division 1 Qualifiers.
Despite their efforts, they could not secure a berth in the 2018 U19 Cricket World Cup, finishing third behind Uganda and Kenya.
Ghana could have done better in this year’s qualifiers. Although they began their campaign with a solid four-wicket victory over Mozambique, they could not overcome subsequent defeats against Tanzania and Nigeria.
These losses have thwarted their chances of advancing to the playoff stage.
As a result of the latest matches, Nigeria and hosts Tanzania have advanced to the playoff round, with an opportunity to compete in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup Africa Qualifier in 2025.
Under the leadership of coach Lee Nyarko, the Ghanaian team will now return home to regroup and prepare for future cricketing challenges.
