Nigeria Beat Zimbabwe to Qualify for 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup
Nigeria’s Junior Female Yellow Greens have secured qualification for the 2027 ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup after defeating Zimbabwe by four runs in a thrilling final of the African qualifiers.
The Nigerian girls held their nerve in a tense contest at the TCA Cricket Arena in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Saturday, September 5, to complete an unbeaten campaign and secure their return to the global tournament.
Nigeria posted 98 runs for six wickets in their allotted 20 overs after being sent in to bat.
Captain Christabel Chukwuonye led the batting effort with a composed 21 off 19 balls, while Beauty Oguai and Jessica Bieni contributed 19 and 15 runs respectively.
Deborah Bassey then provided a crucial late boost, smashing an unbeaten 10 runs from just four deliveries to lift Nigeria to a competitive total.
Zimbabwe appeared capable of chasing down the target but Nigeria’s bowling and fielding unit produced a determined defensive performance.
The Junior Female Yellow Greens kept the pressure on throughout the innings before claiming the decisive final wicket with just one delivery remaining.
Zimbabwe were eventually bowled out for 94 in 19.5 overs, handing Nigeria a dramatic four-run victory and the African qualification ticket.
The triumph means Nigeria will compete at the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, continuing their presence on the international stage.
Nigeria and South Africa will represent Africa at the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.
The qualification is another major milestone for Nigerian women’s cricket and underlines the growing strength of the country’s youth development programme.
The Junior Female Yellow Greens will now turn their attention to preparations for the 2027 global tournament as they look to make a strong impression against the world’s best young cricketing nations.
