New stripe, same drive for Uganda

Looking Sharp. Kansai Plascon’s National Sales Manager Moses Kato (red kit for non-ICC tournaments) and Marketing Manager Daniel Kayongo (3rd R) alongside players; Frank Nsubuga (L), Riazat Ali Shah (2nd L), Ronak Patel (R) and captain Masaba at the jersey unveiling ceremony yesterday. PHOTO/EDDIE CHICCO 
 

What you need to know:

National Honour. Cricket Cranes’ prime sponsor Kansai Plascon Paints added colour to the team’s strip with a branded kit ahead of five crunch matches in the pathway to the World Cup

Team Uganda entered camp yesterday ahead of the ICC World Cup Challenge League B round II in good vibes after unveiling a new kit.
The Cricket Cranes’ prime sponsor Kansai Plascon Paints added colour to the team’s strip with a branded kit ahead of a crunch five matches against Italy, Oman, Hong Kong, Jersey and neighbours Kenya.

The boys checked into their residence for the next fortnight - The Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort - fully coloured with new attire before they engage in battles of supremacy in quest for a slot at the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup in India.

Table of the log
“We are glad the team tops the table after the first of the three World Cup qualification legs. But we are well aware that while the World Cup qualification hopes can be dashed during the first leg, qualification cannot be secured at that stage. It takes consistency throughout the three legs.

And this is the reason the team needs us the most,” said Plascon Uganda marketing manager Daniel Kayongo.
The tournament is set to have a lot of fanfare with lots of gifts to win for the fans and players thanks to all the other partners including BATBALL, Guvnor, Roke Telkom, Nile Special, Coca-Cola, Uganda Airlines, Rose Foam, Century CineMax and Radio City. Plascon’s suit-up for coach Laurence Mahatlane’s team includes a tracksuit, warm-up kits, two sweaters, two pairs of playing jerseys and travel attire all kit is valued at Shs15m, according to Kayongo.

Captain’s word
“We’ve prepared for this tournament for one-and-a-half years so we are good to go,” skipper Brian Masaba stated in company of his teammates. “We are here because of Plascon and we are excited to have you on our jersey and we will go out and make you proud,” the all-rounder added.
Kayongo says there will be replica jerseys on offer for fans as Uganda starts its campaign against Jersey on Friday with their final match against Kenya on June 26. 
HISTORY LANE
No Home Comfort 

When Uganda hosted a similar tournament – the ICC World Challenge League – Division III in 2017, the Cricket Cranes punched below their weight enroute to relegation to Division IV. In 2019, during the Africa Twnety20 Cup Finals, the rain played spoilsport as Uganda finished fourth behind Nambia, Kenya and Nigeria infront of its own home fans.
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