Nigeria’s U-19 women’s cricket team, the Junior Female Greens, have made history by qualifying for the 2025 ICC U-19 T20 World Cup. The team secured their spot after winning the Africa Qualifier Division 1 title in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sunday. Their victory has earned them a place in the World Cup, which will be held in Malaysia in early 2025.
The final match was set to be a tough contest between Nigeria and Zimbabwe at the Gahanga Cricket Oval. Rain, however, disrupted Zimbabwe’s innings, allowing Nigeria to finish the tournament unbeaten and top of the table.
“It was a challenging tournament, but the team played with determination and focus,” said a member of the coaching staff.
This is the second time Nigeria has qualified for any cricket World Cup. The first instance was in 2019 when the men’s U-19 team made an impressive run to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. The Junior Female Greens’ qualification now places Nigeria among the few African nations to have representation in both men’s and women’s U-19 cricket on the world stage.
In Sunday’s final, Nigeria and Zimbabwe met for the second time in the tournament, having faced off in a thrilling group-stage match where Nigeria narrowly won by one wicket. This set the stage for another tense showdown in the final.
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Nigeria’s captain, Lucky Piety, won the toss and chose to bat first. However, the team struggled against Zimbabwe’s strong bowling attack. Victory Igbinedion was the standout performer for Nigeria, scoring 23 runs from 18 balls. Despite their efforts, Nigeria managed to post only 77 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs.
Zimbabwe came out strong in their chase, quickly scoring 19 runs for the loss of one wicket in just 2.3 overs. But before they could gain further momentum, rain halted play, giving Nigeria the victory based on their tournament performance.
“Winning the Africa Qualifier and securing a place in the World Cup is a dream come true for the team. We’ve worked hard for this moment, and we’re excited to represent Nigeria on the world stage,” said Captain Lucky Piety.
With this victory, Nigeria will compete in Group C of the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup alongside New Zealand, South Africa, and Samoa. The tournament, set to run from January 18 to February 2, 2025, will be the second edition of the U-19 Women’s World Cup, with India entering as the defending champions.