Ghana is set to take centre stage in African cricket as it hosts the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier B at the Achimota Cricket Oval from March 24 to March 29.
The six-nation tournament forms a key part of the qualification pathway to the 2028 Cricket World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Joining the hosts in Accra are Tanzania, Malawi, Eswatini, Seychelles and Saint Helena.
The competition will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team facing one another once. At the end of the group phase, only the top two teams will advance to the next stage of qualification—making consistency crucial across all matches.
At the pre-tournament captains’ press conference, Ghana skipper Obed Harvey struck a calm and confident tone, dismissing suggestions that hosting comes with added pressure.
“ I wouldn’t say there’s so much pressure. Most of us have gained vast amounts of experience. The more you play cricket, the more you become better off. We should say there’s pressure. There’s nothing like that. Every game comes with its own preparation. Every team here has their own way of playing.
We also have our own way of playing. We have put in some good work. I know that the squad we have is really looking forward to creating major upsets.
We don’t want to focus on rankings; we want to focus on what happens on the field. We will take it game by game, starting from tomorrow. Hopefully, we start off on the right foot and build momentum from there.”
Tanzania Captain Kassim Nassoro Chete, whose side is considered one of the favourites, emphasised preparation and consistency as key to their ambitions.
“ We are coming here ready to play because we have prepared well. We’ve had competitive matches recently and we want to build on that. This tournament is very serious, and we hope our preparation will bring us success at the end.”
Meanwhile, Cliff Richards, St Helena Captain believes his side can upset the odds despite being viewed as underdogs.
“ Any team can beat anyone. For us, we are here to give 110% in every game with the hope that we will cause upsets throughout the tournament. With all respect to the other teams, we plan to compete strongly and make our country proud.
Hosting the qualifier highlights Ghana’s growing presence in international cricket, with the tournament offering both competitive action and a platform to further develop the sport locally.
With only two qualification spots available, the margin for error is slim setting up a week of high-stakes cricket in Accra as teams chase a step closer to the 2028 World Cup.
