Nigeria cricket team wins opening T20 World Cup qualifier match

Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, known as the Yellow Greens, secured a 160-run victory over The Gambia in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C in Abuja.

Nigeria posted a total of 262 runs for one wicket in 20 overs, led by Selim Salau’s unbeaten 105 off 58 balls. Isaac Danladi contributed 86 runs, while Isaac Okpe added an unbeaten 56 off 16 balls. In response, The Gambia was bowled out for 102 runs in 17.2 overs, with Ridwan Abdulkareem and Sylvester Okpe each taking three wickets.

The tournament features six teams, including Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, and Lesotho, competing for two spots in the 2027 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final. Separately, the International Cricket Council (ICC) commended the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for improvements made to the tournament facilities in Abuja.