TANZANIA Cricket Association (TCA) mid this week hosted a special event to honour the teams that did not make it to the semi-finals of the ICC U-19 Men's World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier now taking place in Dar es Salaam.

Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, and Mozambique were presented with exclusive return gifts in sculptures resembling the TCA logo, in a heartwarming gesture to the squads.

The national cricket governing body's Media and Communication Officer, Atif Salim, remarked that the unique mementos featured a giraffe, wickets, and a bat, symbolizing both the spirit of the game and Tanzanian culture.

The event, the official added, saw the special mementos handed over to not only the players and support staff but also the traveling fans from Botswana.

He revealed among the recipients was the youngest traveling fan, highlighting TCA's commitment to recognizing and appreciating the support from the cricket community.

The fans, Salim noted, expressed their gratitude for the exceptional hospitality provided by TCA, making their stay in Tanzania a memorable experience.

Players from each team took the opportunity to convey their appreciation and share their experiences.

Bright Balala from Malawi, Ariz Sood from Ghana, crowd favourite Manuel Mbebe Jr from Mozambique, and Ayush Harith from Botswana spoke on behalf of their teams.

They expressed their appreciation for the warm welcome and the impeccable arrangements made by TCA throughout the tournament.

The return gifts and the event, according to Salim, underscored the spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship that cricket fosters.

TCA's thoughtful gesture not only celebrated the journey of these teams in the tournament but also strengthened the bonds between the participating nations, leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved.

The qualifiers' last four ties were scheduled to be played yesterday, with Nigeria - which finished second in Group B - confronting Group A leaders Sierra Leone at the Gymkhana venue.

The phase also had tournament hosts Tanzania, Group B's leaders, locking horns with Rwanda - which came second in Group A - at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) venue.  

Rwanda made certain of their place in the last four although they lost to Malawi by seven runs at UDSM venue on Wednesday.

In a thrilling low-scoring encounter, Malawi defended the lowest total of the tournament so far, securing a win but falling short on Net Run Rate. 

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Malawi was bowled out for 70 runs in 33 overs. Apart from the opening pair of Philip Zuze, who scored 10 off 15 balls, and Hamza Vayani, who managed 15 off 46 balls, no other batsman reached double digits.

Elise Gihozo from Rwanda was the standout bowler, taking 5-15 from his 10 overs- ending with a 1.50 economy rate. 

Rwanda's chase was filled with drama, especially the last partnership between Jules Mugisha and Moise Kigabo, which kept three teams in Group A on the edge of their seats. 

Malawi, Rwanda, and Botswana all had their eyes on the results. Despite Rwanda being bowled out for 63 runs in 34.2 overs, they managed to advance to the semi-finals based on their Net Run Rate, courtesy of playing out the maximum overs in the game.

Hamza Vayani shone for Malawi, taking 3-14 in six overs. Despite the win, Malawi was eliminated based on Net Run Rate- having ended with a -0.6897 Net Run Rate-, while Rwanda- which concluded the group phase with 0.0869 Net Run Rate- advanced to the semi-finals.