Mangongo asks players to stay calm as Nigeria starts cricket World Cup journey

Nigeria's head coach Stephen Mangongo has asked the Yellow Greens to stay calm and stick to their plans. They kick off their quest to qualify for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against The Gambia in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mangongo said the team has finished its preparations and is set for the first match of the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C at the Nigeria Cricket Federation Oval 2.

“Calm before the storm. That’s all we need. We’ve done all the training. We are ready to go,” Mangongo shared.

The Zimbabwean coach also pointed out that the team must turn their training into good performances on the field. Nigeria aims to grab one of the two qualification spots available in the six-team tournament.

The Yellow Greens will first play The Gambia, then face Zambia on Wednesday. They will also compete against Mozambique, Lesotho, and Uganda in the round-robin format.

The top two teams will move on to the Africa Regional Final in 2027, keeping their hopes alive for the 2028 tournament.

Nigeria has home advantage throughout the competition, which runs until October 26 in Abuja. But the team needs to show consistent performances against their rivals to move forward.

This campaign is another important test for Mangongo. He became head coach and high-performance manager in May and is working hard with the national team.

Nigeria wants to build on their progress in recent years and become one of the top cricket nations in Africa.

With the opening match against The Gambia being a chance to make a strong impression, Mangongo expects his players to keep their discipline and composure as they start their qualification journey.