The Nigeria Cricket Federation is pleased to announce that the National Men’s Championship has been schedule to hold from the 24rd of March to the 5th of April 2021 in Benin City, Edo State.

States selected to participate in this tournament is drawn from previous tournament and the same qualification/elimination process of the National Sports Festival where only teams that qualified in 1st position from the various zones have automatic qualification. 7 teams automatically have been drafted to feature in the championship with play-off game in Port Harcourt to determine the final qualifying team.

The 7 teams with automatic qualifications are;

  1. Edo State (host)
  2. Lagos State
  3. Kaduna State
  4. Kwara State
  5. Delta State
  6. Anambra State
  7. Oyo State

Rivers, Ogun and Ebonyi States will engage in the playoff matches to determine the final team that will complete the list.

The 8 teams structure in designed in accordance to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Criteria on senior tournament and for it to be recorded in the high performance scorecard of Nigeria.

This years’ edition shall be played in two formats, T-20 for Group stages while the semi Finals and Finals will be 50 overs. Teams have been grouped into two pools as follows.

Pool A- Edo, Lagos, Anambra and Play-off winners.

Pool B – Kaduna, Oyo, Delta and Kwara.

Also note tournament dates as follows:

Play offs- 24th & 25th of March, 2021 (Arrival 23rd and departure 26th) – Winners head for Benin City to compete in Pool A.

Pool A – 27th to 29th March, 2021 (Arrival is 26th) – Top two teams stay on while bottom two departs tournament on the 30th of March, 2021.

Pool B- 30th March to 1st April, 2021 (Arrival is 29th) – Top two teams stay on while bottom two departs tournament on the 2nd of April.

Semi Finals – 3rd and 4th April, 2021.              Finals – 5th April, 2021.

List of Player 14 players and two officials are expected to reach the NCF secretariat: ncfsecgen@gail.com or ncf@nigeriacricket.com.ng on or before 20th of March, 2021.  ICC International playing conditions for T20 and 50 overs Cricket shall apply throughout the tournament.