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The Nigeria cricket team, known as the Yellow Green, has emerged as the champions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifiers, defeating Botswana in the final by 77 runs.
The victory, which capped off an unbeaten run throughout the tournament, also secured Nigeria’s place in the next phase of the qualifiers, set to take place next year.
Reflecting on the team’s achievement, Nigeria’s head coach Steve Tikolo shared his pride and satisfaction with the team’s performance. Speaking to brila.net, Tikolo credited the team’s preparations for their success.
“Thank you, first of all. We feel blessed, we feel great in the team. Like I said, after the first game, I had a lot of faith in my players that we will go through the tournament unbeaten,” Tikolo said.
“The guys have played some brilliant cricket in the past 6-7 days and the results are there to show. The reason why I was confident is how we have prepared before the tournament.”
“The preparations went well and I was confident that the boys were going to do well.”
Meanwhile, Uyi Akpata, the President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, also shared his excitement following the team’s historic triumph. Akpata highlighted that the team’s performance exceeded expectations, thanking all the stakeholders who supported the journey.
“Extremely satisfied that we, not only met but super exceeded our expectations generally,” Akpata said.
“So, for now, I just give God all the glory and all the key stakeholders who have been partners on this journey. I mean, we can all relax and celebrate today.”
Earlier in the tournament, Nigeria secured their fourth consecutive win, defeating Sierra Leone by 29 runs. This victory confirmed their qualification for the next round of qualifiers.
The match against Botswana on Wednesday, which served as the final decider for the overall winner of the sub-regional qualifiers, saw Nigeria emerge as the dominant side.
Nigeria’s captain, Sylvester Okpe, also spoke after the final match, acknowledging the intense rivalry with Botswana but remaining confident that his team would deliver.
“It was difficult, especially considering the rivalry between both nations in the sport,” Okpe said.
“But I was always confident that me and my teammates would see the job done.”
