Nigeria close to Cricket World Cup qualification, says NCF official

The Junior Yellow Greens of Nigeria is currently participating in the Africa/ICC Division Two Cricket championship alongside seven other countries in South Africa. Musa Ehizoje, the federation’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) said on Wednesday in Abuja that the team has performed well so far in the event. He said the team had won its first three matches against Sierra Leone, Zambia and Rwanda, adding that another win against Botswana on Thursday would put them a step ahead of qualification. “The team has performed well so far in the tournament and we are grateful to God for the success so far. “Also, the one month camping the team had before their departure and the one-week training tour of South Africa, prior to the tournament has helped the team. “The average age of the players in the team is 15 years, so the boys are young, talented and putting their best into the game. “We are confident that the team will beat Botswana and in the end qualify for the World Cup next year,’’ he said. Nigeria is also expected to play against Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania in the event. The top two teams in the event would gain promotion to Division One and automatically get qualification to participate in the U-19 World Cup. The tournament, which started on Sept.10, will end on Sept. 18.