The Nigeria Cricket Federation has announced the 14-player Junior Yellow Greens team. They will represent Nigeria at the 2028 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2 in Rwanda. The tournament runs from August 9 to 15, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
The Junior Yellow Greens will face teams like Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone. The goal is to get promoted to Division 1 and move closer to the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Rahmon Ali will lead the squad. The players were selected through a tough multi-phase process held in Abuja and Lagos. Coaches looked at players' skills, discipline, attitude, and how well they perform under pressure.
The process started with a training camp in Abuja. Players who did well at the National U-17 Championship were invited to take part in the assessment.
The second phase also took place in Abuja. Here, the coaching staff mixed younger U-17 players with more experienced ones from the age-grade setup. The final phase in Lagos was the toughest. The coaches picked the final 14-man squad that will represent Nigeria in the qualifiers.
Captain Ali will play alongside 13 others. The team includes Ismail Abdullahi, Andrew Abah, Precious Ayeni, Daniel Ayodele, Kenneth Boniface, and Princewill Chigozie.
Other players are Bright Edem, Peculiar Egemasi, Okasha Isiyaku, Emmanuel Oladejo, Hossana Omokhobhio, Pelumi Orimolade, and Folajimi Owolabi.
As preparations reach the final phase, the coaching team aims to create a balanced and competitive squad. They want a team that can go far in the tournament.
Head coach Daniel Gim said, "Our aim is to build a strong team with a solid batting lineup that can do well beyond this qualification. The goal isn’t just to qualify from Division 2; we want to advance through Division 1 and secure a spot at the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup."
Nigeria will kick off their campaign against Uganda on the first day, Sunday, August 9.
The top three teams from the Division 2 qualifiers will join Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania in Division 1.
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