Junior Female Yellow Greens captain Lucky Piety has assured Nigerians that the team will deliver an impressive performance at the ICC Women’s U-19 World Cup in Malaysia next year. Nigeria secured their spot in the tournament after defeating Zimbabwe in the Africa Qualifier Division 1 final held in Kigali, Rwanda.
In a tense match, the Junior Yellow Greens scored 77 runs, while Zimbabwe’s innings was halted by rain, resulting in Nigeria being named the best team in the tournament by ICC Africa. This marks the second time Nigeria has qualified for a cricket World Cup, following the men’s U-19 team’s qualification for the South Africa tournament in 2019.
“First of all, we are grateful for the support back home, and yes, expect more from us at the World Cup,” Piety said in an interview after the final. “When we were in the group stage, we knew we could be the best, and there was no looking back from there.”
The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has announced that preparations for the World Cup will commence immediately. Uyi Akpata, the NCF chairman, expressed gratitude to the players for their dedication and emphasized the need for additional resources to ensure a successful campaign.
“The World Cup is a bigger task; we need more resources and a robust plan to run a successful campaign. All hands must be on deck, and it starts now,” Akpata stated.
Nigeria will compete in Group C alongside New Zealand, South Africa, and Samoa. The victorious Junior Female Yellow Greens are expected to return to Nigeria today, with a reception planned at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos.
