After a narrow defeat to Kenya in their International Cricket Council (ICC) 2024 T20 World Cup qualifying opener, the Yellow Greens are set to face Rwanda in a crucial second match. Despite a commendable effort, Nigeria’s senior men’s national team lost to Kenya by four wickets. In the opening game at the United’s Cricket Ground, Sylvester Okpe and his teammates chased a target of 121 runs after Kenya won the toss and chose to field.
Danladi Isaac contributed a respectable 46 runs from 46 balls, and Prosper Useni posted 37 from 19 runs, marking the highest scores for Nigeria in the inning. Kenya, however, managed to chase down the required 122 runs in the second inning, with Shem Ngoche’s crucial 19-run over against Chiemelie Udekwe in the 19th over proved decisive. Kenya secured victory in the 20th over with five balls to spare.
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Tayo Atoloye, the leader of Nigeria’s delegation and representative of the South West on the board of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), expressed disappointment over the loss. He acknowledged the team’s improved bowling and fielding performance but lamented the missed opportunity in the critical 19th over. Despite the setback, Atoloye sees positives and believes in the team’s potential for success in upcoming matches.
Atoloye emphasized that the narrow loss doesn’t reflect the overall improvements in the Nigerian side, indicating confidence that it will motivate the team for success in future matches. He pointed out that Nigeria is performing better than its current ranking suggests, validating the investments made in the team. The Yellow Greens aim for redemption as they face Rwanda at the Wanderers Cricket Grounds in today’s match.
