Five teams are chasing the title at the Africa Continental Cup 2026, running September 8 to 19 in Kigali, Rwanda, at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium.
Also known as the ILT20 Continent Cup, this is the third edition of the tournament, and defending two-time champions Uganda face a genuinely tough field this time. Here’s everything on the teams, squads, schedule, and players to watch.
Africa Continental Cup 2026: Quick Facts
Before getting into team-by-team detail, here’s the tournament at a glance.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Edition | 3rd |
| Dates | September 8–19, 2026 |
| Host | Rwanda |
| Venue | Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, Kigali |
| Teams | Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana, Sierra Leone |
| Format | Double round-robin, top 2 teams to the final |
| Total matches | 21 (20 league games + final) |
| Defending champions | Uganda (won 2023 and 2024) |
| Organiser | Rwanda Cricket Association, under the International League T20 banner |
Why Only Five Teams? The Field Got Trimmed
Here’s something worth knowing if you’ve seen an eight-team schedule floating around online — it’s outdated. The tournament was originally planned as an eight-team event, with Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania set to join the mix.
That changed in late August, when the Rwanda Cricket Association confirmed the 2026 edition would run with five sides instead. The double round-robin format you see below reflects that smaller, tighter field.
ILT20 Africa Continental Cup 2026 Teams and Squads
Each of the five nations brings a different story into this tournament, a champion defending its crown, a host riding a hot streak, and three sides looking to close the gap.
Uganda Cricket Cranes: The Team to Beat
Uganda enters as a two-time defending champion, having won the title in both 2023 and 2024 without losing a single match during the 2024 league phase. Riazat Ali Shah captains the side, Kenneth Waiswa is his deputy, and former Kenya batter Steve Tikolo coaches the group.
Uganda sits 21st in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings, easily the highest-ranked team in this field, and they’ve already played at a T20 World Cup, reaching the group stage on debut in 2024.
Uganda Squad: Riazat Ali Shah (c), Kenneth Waiswa, Charles Musemeza, Cyrus Kakuru, Gerald Olipa, Juma Miyaji, Cosmas Kyewuta, Enock Kasaija, Fahad Mutagana, Joseph Baguma, Matthew Musinguzi, Anas Baig, Robinson Obuya, Ronald Lutaaya.
Rwanda: Home Advantage and a Red-Hot Year
The hosts arrive in genuinely strong form. Rwanda has won 10 of 13 T20Is in 2026, including a first-place finish at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier A, ahead of Kenya. Clinton Rubagumya captains the side, with Lawrence Mahatlane as head coach.
Rwanda hadn’t officially confirmed its Continental Cup squad at the time of writing, but most names from that Qualifier A group are expected to make the cut, including top-scorer Hamza Khan, who smashed an unbeaten 164 in a single innings back in May.
Kenya: Building Toward a Regional Final
Kenya finished runners-up in Qualifier A this year, a result that already books their spot in the 2027 Africa Regional Final for World Cup qualification. Dhiren Gondaria captains the Simbas, who sit 33rd in the ICC T20I rankings and have won 6 of 8 matches in 2026.
Kenya Squad: Dhiren Gondaria (c), Gurdeep Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Sachin Gill, Rakep Patel, Brian Likavu, Shem Ngoche, Francis Mutua, Lucas Ndandason, Vishil Patel, Peter Koech, Nitish Hirani, Gerald Muthui, Rushab Patel.
Botswana: The Form Team Nobody’s Talking About
Botswana has quietly won 9 of 11 T20Is in 2026, a strike rate that outpaces every other team in this field. Thatayaone Tshose captains the side, ranked 50th by the ICC, and Botswana finished third in Qualifier A after a competitive campaign.
Botswana Squad: Thatayaone Tshose (c), Mounroux Kasselman, Vinoo Balakrishnan, Phemelo Silas, Boemo Khumalo, Ryan Adams, Boemo Kgosiemang, Botlhe Keganne, Dhruv Maisuria, Katlo Piet, Mmoloki Mooketsi, Tumelo Mpatane, Valentine Mbazo, Myolisi Fumba.
Sierra Leone: The Underdogs
Sierra Leone comes in as the lowest-ranked side at 83rd, and a 2026 record of 2 wins from 6 games shows a squad that’s still building depth. Lansana Lamina leads the tournament squad as captain.
Sierra Leone Squad: Lansana Lamina (c), Alusine Turay, Samuel Conteh, Aliya Kamara, Abubakarr Kamara, Raymond Coker, Yegbeh Jalloh, George Sesay, Eric Musa Turay, Solomon Williams, Mohamed Turay, David Halloway, Ibrahim Kpaka, Brima Ansumana.
Africa Continental Cup 2026: Key Dates to Know
Every team plays the other four twice before the top two meet in the final. There are no semi-finals this year, so every single league match carries real weight toward that final spot.
| Date | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| September 8 | Tournament opens: Kenya vs Sierra Leone, Rwanda vs Botswana |
| September 13–15 | Short break — a couple of rest days before the closing stretch |
| September 19 | Final (Top 2 teams from the points table) |
For the complete day-by-day fixture list and match numbers, see our full Africa Continental Cup 2026 schedule.
Player Spotlight: Faces of the Africa Continental Cup 2026
Riazat Ali Shah — Uganda’s Captain and Wicketkeeper-Batter
Shah holds Uganda’s squad together as both captain and gloveman, and he’s the common thread across the team’s unbeaten 2024 title run. With Uganda chasing a third straight trophy, his leadership under pressure will matter as much as his batting.
Robinson Obuya — Uganda’s Most Dependable Top-Order Option
Obuya was the top run-scorer of the 2024 edition with 272 runs, and he remains the batter Uganda leans on to anchor an innings. If Uganda are going three-for-three, expect him near the top of the run charts again.
Hamza Khan — Rwanda’s Breakout Run-Scorer
Khan smashed an unbeaten 164 in a single Qualifier A innings this year, a score that put the region on notice. Playing in front of a home crowd in Kigali, he’s the batter most likely to turn a Rwanda innings into a statement.
Dhiren Gondaria — Kenya’s Captain With a Bigger Prize Already Locked In
Gondaria leads a Kenyan side that’s already secured a spot in the 2027 Africa Regional Final, so this tournament doubles as form-building rather than survival. That relaxed context could work in Kenya’s favour.
Sachin Gill — Kenya’s Wicket-Taking Weapon
Gill picked up 17 wickets during Qualifier A, the joint-most in that tournament. Any side hoping to beat Kenya will need a plan for him with the new ball.
Mounroux Kasselman — Botswana’s Middle-Order Finisher
Kasselman is the proven finisher behind Botswana’s surprisingly strong 2026 form, having scored 66 during their Qualifier A campaign. In a tight chase, he’s the player Botswana will want at the crease.
How the Africa Continental Cup 2026 Format Works
The double round-robin setup means every team faces every other team twice, once with each side hosting, in effect, even though all matches are played at the same Kigali venue. Points accumulate across all 20 league games, and only the top two teams on the table advance straight to the final. There’s no safety net of a semi-final to fall back on, which makes early results in the first week just as important as the closing matches in mid-September.
Where to Watch Africa Continental Cup 2026
The tournament runs live from September 8 to September 19, 2026, in Kigali. Ball-by-ball commentary, live scorecards, and highlights are typically available through Cricbuzz’s dedicated tournament page, while regional broadcast and satellite TV listings can be tracked through Willow TV’s coverage for international viewers.
Africa Continental Cup History: Past Champions and Records
| Edition | Host | Teams | Champion | Runner-up | Top Run-Scorer | Top Wicket-Taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nairobi, Kenya | 4 | Uganda | Kenya | Collins Obuya (284) | Henry Ssenyondo & Vraj Patel (18 each) |
| 2024 | Kigali, Rwanda | 4 | Uganda | Nigeria | Robinson Obuya (272) | Henry Ssenyondo (22) |
| 2026 | Kigali, Rwanda | 5 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Uganda has won every edition so far, and a third straight title would put them clear as Africa’s dominant T20I side outside the ICC qualifying pathway. Henry Ssenyondo also became the first Ugandan man to reach 100 T20I wickets during the 2024 edition, a milestone worth watching as he adds to that tally in 2026.
Why the Africa Continental Cup 2026 Matters
This isn’t just a trophy chase for the teams involved. Uganda treats it as direct preparation for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier C, scheduled for Lagos in October 2026. Rwanda and Kenya have already locked in spots at the 2027 Africa Regional Final off the back of their Qualifier A results, so for them this event works more as a form check than a must-win.
For Botswana and Sierra Leone, every match here is a chance to close the gap on the region’s stronger sides. And for fans, five teams playing a genuine home-and-away style format on one ground means more head-to-heads and fewer dead rubbers than previous editions offered.
Conclusion
Five teams, one ground, and a two-time champion with a target on its back, that’s the Africa Continental Cup 2026 in a nutshell, running September 8 to 19 in Kigali.
With Rwanda in career-best form as hosts and Uganda chasing an unprecedented third straight title, this edition looks far from a formality. Check back here as points-table standings and squad updates roll in throughout the tournament.
FAQs
The tournament runs from September 8 to September 19, 2026, at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Five teams: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana, and Sierra Leone. The tournament was originally planned for eight teams before being trimmed in late August 2026.
Uganda, who won both the 2023 and 2024 editions.
A double round-robin, every team plays every other team twice, with the top two sides on the points table meeting in the final. There are no semi-finals.
Live scores and commentary are available through Cricbuzz’s tournament page, with international broadcast details tracked via Willow TV.
Riazat Ali Shah and Robinson Obuya for Uganda, Hamza Khan for Rwanda, Dhiren Gondaria and Sachin Gill for Kenya, and Mounroux Kasselman for Botswana are among the standout names heading into the tournament.
