The Nigeria U19 cricket team has once again proven their mettle on the international stage, finishing third at the recently concluded ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Division 2 Africa Qualifiers. This performance has earned the Junior Yellow Greens a well-deserved promotion to Division One.
The tournament began with Nigeria in Group B, alongside Tanzania, Mozambique, and Ghana. In their opening match, the Junior Yellow Greens faced Tanzania in a tightly contested game. Nigeria struggled with the bat, managing a total of 127 runs before being bowled out. Tanzania, in response, chased down the target with relative ease, finishing at 128/4 to win by six wickets.
Undeterred by their opening loss, Nigeria bounced back spectacularly in their second group match against Mozambique. The Junior Yellow Greens put on a batting masterclass, amassing a commanding total of 362/8, Hossana Omokhobio led the charge with a well-crafted 69 off 95 balls, supported by Peculiar Egamasi’s 53 off 48 balls and a quickfire 45 off 32 balls by Gafar Kareem. The Junior YellowGreens bowler Gafar Kareem’s brilliant all-round performance continued as he took 3-10, and Okasha Isiyaku supported well with 3-16, dismantling the Mozambican batting line-up, dismissing them for just 48 runs. Nigeria secured a massive victory by 314 runs, showcasing their dominance and intent.
In their final group match, Nigeria faced Ghana, and once again, they delivered a strong performance Batting first, with notable contributions from Femi Oresenwo (49 off 75 balls) and Ali Rahmon (44 off 52 balls), saw the side posting a competitive total of 183 runs, the Junior Yellow Greens’ bowlers took charge, Okasha Isiyaku was the standout bowler for the team, claiming 4-15 in 6.1 overs, while Progress Osagie and Gafar Kareem took 2-15 and 2-18, respectively, bundling out Ghana for a mere 64 runs. This emphatic win by 119 runs secured Nigeria’s place in the semi-finals.
The semi-final match saw Nigeria take on a formidable Sierra Leone team. Unfortunately, the Junior Yellow Greens found themselves in trouble, being bowled out for 116 runs. Sierra Leone made light work of the chase, reaching 119/1 and advancing to the final.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the final, Nigeria had one more opportunity to secure a spot in Division One. In the 3rd place playoff match against Rwanda, the team showed their resilience and determination. Nigeria’s bowlers restricted Rwanda to a modest total, Gafar Kareem winning his 2nd Player of the Match award was outstanding with the ball, he bowled 5.4 overs conceded 8 runs and got 4 wickets, supported by Joseph Onoshagbe who bowled 3 overs conceded 3 runs and got 3 wickets. The Junior YellowGreens batters chased down the target comfortably with Peculiar Egemasi’s 26 runs of 21 balls top score, with the team’s overall performance aiding them to clinch third place position and ensuring their promotion to Division One where they will slog it out with Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and already-qualified Kenya, Namibia and Uganda, for the solitary spot on offer at the World Cup.
