NCF President, Akpata, says U-19 team will shock the world

Posted : 20 January 2025

The President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, says Nigeria’s participation in the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia will surpass expectations due to the board’s investment in recent years.

Nigeria is among the 16 countries currently vying for honors at the second edition of the tournament, which began in Malaysia on Saturday and will conclude on February 2.

The Junior Female Yellow Greens are representing the country in Group C alongside Samoa, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Led by former NCF National U-17 Championships prodigy, Lucky Piety, the Nigerian 15-player team consists of players discovered in various age-grade competitions, with seven of them already having featured for the women’s senior national team, winning a historic bronze medal at the 2023 African Games in Ghana.

“We are here to announce ourselves to the world and make Nigeria proud,” Akpata said.

“Our participation is the result of six to seven years of hard work and extensive grassroots development. Some of these efforts have even earned us global awards.”

To qualify for the tournament, Nigeria edged out Zimbabwe for Africa’s sole spot during the qualifying series in Rwanda last September.

Leading up to the tournament, Nigeria, despite being one of the four debutants, put the world on notice with impressive displays in their warm-up matches. They nearly defeated World No. 8 Pakistan before recording a seven-wicket win over the 14th-ranked Scotland.

These eye-catching performances have drawn attention to the Junior Female Yellow Greens, and Akpata believes there is more to come from them at the World Cup.

“The girls know what is expected, and the support from everyone back home will help us go far. I am confident in our abilities.”

Nigeria’s first game against fellow debutants Samoa was abandoned due to a wet outfield at the Borneo Cricket Ground in Sarawak, resulting in a share of the points.

The team has since shifted its focus to the next game against New Zealand, scheduled for the early hours of Monday (3:30 am Nigerian time), with the hope of marking a memorable debut at the World Cup.

The top three teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super 6 stage, where they will be drawn into two groups of six teams. The top two from each group will play in the semi-finals.

The Junior Female Yellow Greens’ outing in Malaysia marks Nigeria’s second-ever World Cup appearance, with the men’s U-19 team also reaching the global stage in 2019.

NCF President, Akpata, says U-19 team will shock the world

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