Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the YellowGreens, have secured a spot in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final 2027. They achieved this by defeating Lesotho by seven wickets in Abuja on Saturday.
This victory took place at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C on October 24. It continued Nigeria’s unbeaten streak in the competition. This win also boosts their chances as strong contenders for a place at the 2028 T20 World Cup.
Lesotho won the toss and decided to bat first. They struggled against a solid Nigerian bowling attack and were bowled out for just 62 runs in 12.5 overs.
Captain Chima Akachukwu was impressive, taking 4 wickets for 14 runs in 3.5 overs, including a maiden. Elochukwu Ndubudem also shone with 2 wickets for 4 runs in two overs, while Kenneth Boniface had 2 wickets for 14 runs. Mohameed Taiwo got a wicket as well, putting Lesotho under constant pressure.
The only real fight from Lesotho came from Tsepiso Chaoana, who scored 26 runs off 18 balls without losing his wicket.
In response, Nigeria faced some early setbacks, losing three wickets quickly. However, they still managed to chase down the target, reaching 65 runs for 3 wickets in just 7.4 overs, winning with 74 balls to spare.
Ridwan Abdulkareem was the standout for Nigeria, finishing with an unbeaten 28 runs off 18 balls, which included three fours and a six. Miracle Akhigbe supported him well with an unbeaten 26 runs off 25 balls, hitting four boundaries. Their solid partnership helped the YellowGreens secure an easy victory.
Playing on home ground, Nigeria has taken full advantage of the opportunity. They have shown strong batting, tight bowling, and excellent teamwork throughout the tournament.
Now that they have qualified, the focus shifts to their final group match against Uganda on Sunday, October 25. The YellowGreens will be looking to maintain their unbeaten record and end the sub-regional campaign on a high note.
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