Nigeria’s men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, began their ICC T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifier C campaign in spectacular fashion, cruising to a 118-run victory over St Helena at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Saturday. Batting first, Nigeria posted an imposing 185/2 in their 20 overs, with decisive contributions from their top-order batters. In response, St Helena struggled to gain any foothold, bowled out for just 67 runs in 19.
1 overs, as Nigeria’s bowling attack proved too strong to handle. The resounding win cements the Yellow Greens’ status as tournament favourites, especially as the highest-ranked team in the qualifiers at 36th on the ICC T20 rankings. The victory also underscores head coach Steve Tikolo’s ambitions for the side to not just qualify but dominate the qualifiers en route to the final phase.
“Our goal is not just to qualify but to win the tournament and prepare for the next round as champions,” Tikolo said before the tournament opener. Related News Cricket: Nigeria begin T20 W’Cup qualifiers against St Helena Cricket: Nigeria’s opponents arrive for W’Cup qualifiers W’Cup qualifiers: Tikolo rates Nigeria’s opponents high In other games played on Saturday, Botswana defeated Eswatini by 45 runs, scoring 172/4 in their 20 overs before dismissing their opponents for 124 in 18.4 overs.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone showcased an even more emphatic display, thrashing Ivory Coast by a staggering 168 runs. Sierra Leone posted.