Nigeria’s Junior Female Yellow Greens have secured their spot in the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. They achieved this by beating Zimbabwe by four runs in a thrilling final of the Africa Qualifier Division 1 in Tanzania on Saturday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
This final was a rematch of the 2024 qualifying tournament held in Rwanda. Back then, Nigeria had edged Zimbabwe based on a better head-to-head record after the final was canceled due to rain.
This time, Nigeria defended a total of 98 runs, bowling Zimbabwe out for 94 runs in 19.5 overs. This victory marks Nigeria’s return to the World Cup after their first appearance last year in Malaysia, where they finished in sixth place.
The win capped an impressive performance for the young Nigerian team, who remained unbeaten throughout the tournament. They started strong by defeating Uganda, followed by wins over Malawi and Tanzania, and they also overcame Rwanda in the semi-final.
After winning the toss, Nigeria chose to bat first. They faced a disciplined Zimbabwe bowling attack and ended their 20 overs with a score of 98 for six.
Captain Christabel Chukwuonye led the batting with a steady 21 off 19 balls. Beauty Oguai contributed 19 runs, and Jessica Bieni added 15 runs to the total.
As the innings drew to a close, Deborah Bassey made a vital late contribution, scoring 10 runs off just four balls. This helped Nigeria reach a total of 98 runs, which needed a solid bowling and fielding effort to defend.
Zimbabwe started their chase with determination, but Nigeria’s bowlers struck at key moments to keep the match within reach. Peace Usen was the star with the ball for Nigeria, taking three wickets for 19 runs in her four overs, disrupting Zimbabwe’s strong batting lineup.
Jennifer Godwin picked up two wickets, while Shola Adekunle added one more as Nigeria kept the pressure on Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's top scorer was Salem Princess Museka, who scored a fighting 27 runs off 32 balls, keeping her team in the game as they approached the target.
As the match progressed into its final moments, Nigeria found themselves with a slim lead to defend. The crucial moment arrived in the last over, with Zimbabwe at 93 for nine. Nigeria needed one more wicket to secure the win, while Zimbabwe was close to the target.
The pressure fell on Anointed Akhigbe, who had dismissed Museka earlier in the innings. Akhigbe remained calm and with the fifth ball of the 20th over, she bowled Vanessa Nyasha Maedza, ending Zimbabwe’s innings at 94. This completed a memorable four-run victory for Nigeria.
Akhigbe finished with two wickets for 15 runs in 2.5 overs, with her wickets coming from Museka and Maedza.
The upcoming 2027 tournament will be co-hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.
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