Nigeria Defeat Botswana To Win ICC Men’s Cricket T20 Trophy
7 months ago 3 min read
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The Yellow Greens of Nigeria defeated Botswana by 77 runs to win the sub-regional World Cup qualifier title at the twin ovals of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The team had earlier secured a place in the next stage of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup Africa qualifiers with a game to spare, while also finishing top of the group.
Nigeria won the toss to bat first, Sulaimon Runsewe produced a stunning performance with 74 runs from 53 balls, while Isaac Danladi recorded 80 runs from 45 balls to set the team on their way to a dominant victory.
The player of the match, Ridwan Abdulkareem earned six wickets as Nigeria limited Botswana to just 104 runs for the loss of 10 wickets in 18.2 overs.
The Yellow Greens finished the top of the series with a perfect unbeaten record to earn 10 points, while Botswana grabbed the second spot with eight points.
Sierra Leone sealed the third spot with a 112-run victory over Eswatini, scoring 158 runs for the loss of eight wickets and bowling Eswatini out for just 46 runs.
The Yellow Greens captain, Sylvester Okpe was excited to lead the team to the trophy.
He said: “We are so happy to secure this victory and trophy before the home crowd. It is always a good feeling and an exciting moment for us.
“Right from the beginning, we told ourselves that we were not going down without a fight. We were confident in ourselves, and in every game, we stuck to our plans. In the end, it all came through. I thank my team, the technical crew, and the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for trusting us.”
Similarly, The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, who was on ground to cheer the team, was full of praise for the Yellow Greens.
He said: “I’m extremely proud, not just of the victory recorded today, but also of what my senior brother, Uyi Akpata, and his team have achieved with the Nigerian Cricket Federation.
“When you look at this Oval and hear the story of how it became an ICC-standard facility, you marvel at the effort and passion they’ve put in. This aligns with President Tinubu’s vision of bringing the private sector on board to drive sports development.”
Olopade also highlighted the rapid progress cricket has made in Nigeria, pointing to the recent success of the Nigeria U-19 women’s cricket team, which secured Africa’s sole ticket to the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup, set to be held in Malaysia in 2025.
“Already, I’ve promised to be present to support the U-19 female team.
“We need to de-emphasize the pedagogy of one sport being bigger than others. Cricket is massive globally, and it is gratifying to see Nigeria making inroads in the sport.
“The NSC will support the federation, just as we do with others. Beyond growing participation, we want to build a sustainable economy around the sports ecosystem.”
Nigeria dominated the tournament with an unbeaten record, securing five wins out of five. Other participating teams included Sierra Leone, Eswatini, Côte d’Ivoire, and St. Helena.
