Cricket: Nigeria U-19 Seeks World Cup Ticket In Tanzania
Nigeria’s junior national cricket team, the Junior Yellow Greens, will begin its chase for a Sri Lanka 2024 U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup ticket on Monday, at the University of Dar-es-Salaam (UDSM) Cricket Oval in Tanzania.
The eight-day event bowled off on Sunday with a rain-washed doubleheader between hosts Tanzania and Kenya on one hand and Namibia and Uganda, on the other.
Nigeria’s coach and former national-team player, Daniel Gim, had a few words to share.
”This team is in good shape and looks forward to making the best of the talents that the team is made of,” Gim said. “Mental preparation and game awareness are things we have been focusing on.”
“Our bowling is our trump card. It should take us over the line with the trio of Prosper Useni, captain Ridwan Abdulkareem, and Chiemelie Udekwe at the front. In a round-robin event, everyone is our rival, and we will tackle them as they come.’’
Only one World Cup ticket is being contested for by the six participating countries in Dar-es-Salaam. The teams include Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and hosts Tanzania.
Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) President, Uyi Akpata, described the country’s team as a product of grassroots campaigns and unrelenting commitment from stakeholders to grow the game.
“On the continents now, our efforts are being recognized, as more of our players are matching-up with the best,’’ Uyi Akpata said. “We have on several occasions rattled the existing powerhouses of the game and hence every team here is very wary of Nigeria at this event.”
“On our part, we have presented a team that is solely homegrown and a reflection of our best talents at the age category. We are more than confident we would be well-represented.”
Before moving to Tanzania for the competition, Nigeria had a two-week drill at one of the best cricket facilities in India in May. They also took on a select Rwandan side in Kigali in a three-way ODI tune-up game, where they won two and lost one.
Nigeria qualified for the final round of the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup through a Division-2 qualifier held in Abuja in October 2022. Kenya and Sierra Leone also picked their slots from that event.
Jane Iyabode Aluko/Obinna Aniakor.
