Nigeria’s cricket revolution is unfolding faster than anticipated, with the country’s female U-19 team, the Junior Female Yellow Greens, making a historic impact at the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.
Their stunning victory over cricket powerhouse New Zealand, a narrow but unforgettable two-run win, propelled them into the Super 6 stage, a remarkable feat for a team making its debut on the world stage.
For Uyi Akpata, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), this rapid progress is a testament to strategic planning and investment, but even he admits that Nigeria’s female cricket rise has exceeded expectations.
“Our development plan was showing that we should have been here by 2028, but these girls just keep redefining the standards,” Akpata said via ICC Media Zone.
“It shows that when you invest a lot, the results come through, even faster than expected.”
The Junior Female Yellow Greens have made history as the first Nigerian women’s team to feature at any cricket World Cup, following in the footsteps of the men’s U-19 team, which reached the 2019 World Cup in South Africa.
Akpata credited Nigeria’s cricket transformation to a dedicated system that nurtures young talent, ensuring sustainability and continuous improvement.
“Two years ago we started high-performance contracts for male and female players, then those who are in schools on scholarships, building a whole ecosystem and getting people to buy into the vision,” he explained.
“It certainly helps when you see what the girls are doing in Malaysia, that’s just going to enhance our brand.”
Despite not progressing beyond the second round of the tournament, the excitement surrounding the team’s performance has been immense.
Akpata revealed that their journey has captured national attention, with fans sacrificing sleep to follow the team’s matches live.
“Everyone is really excited. We’ve been seeing the buzz on digital platforms and social media, people are setting their alarms and waking up at 3 am to watch this,” Akpata said.
While their run in Malaysia is set to conclude with a final match against Ireland on Wednesday (today), the team’s achievements have set a new benchmark for Nigerian cricket.
“We’ve kept a lot of people awake, but we’re getting a lot of interest and ultimately, our expectations are just accelerated. It’s three years quicker than we expected,” Akpata said, highlighting the unexpected speed of their progress.
With a strong foundation in place, Nigeria’s female cricket team is now a force to be reckoned with. As Akpata put it:
“We have 15 wonderful girls who are representative of potentially about 50 others who believe that one day, they too can wear the green and yellow of Nigeria on the global stage.”
The world has taken notice. The Junior Female Yellow Greens have arrived, and this is just the beginning.
