CRICKET
The Nigerian national men’s cricket team, the Yellow-Greens have maintained their unblemished record at the ongoing West African Trophy taking place at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.
The event has Ghana, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and host Nigeria, taking part in a T20i format game. And, 10 of the 20 matches have been completed so far, since the event started on October 4, 2023.
Nigeria currently stands head and shoulder above other competitors with 10 points from five wins in five matches. Ghana comes in second place with six points from three wins in five matches too. Rwanda has four points from two wins, while Sierra Leone has lost all five matches at the event so far.
The championship will observe its first break today, October 9, but play will resume on Tuesday morning with a second tie between Nigeria and Rwanda, while Sierra Leone will be seeking her first win in their second tie with Ghana at the tournament.
Nigeria’s Head Coach and High-Performance Manager, Steve Tikolo, said that the matches are key for his side, ahead of the preparation for the final World Cup Qualifier in Namibia later in the year.
“We are winning, but what is key here is that the team is having playing time, and that is important to implement all the drills we have been doing in practice. The games in Namibia, are going to be a different feel altogether,” he said.
The Yellow-Greens have not had an international encounter in nine months as two international events they had camped for were postponed.
The West African Trophy has been put together by the Nigeria Cricket Federation in conjunction with Dafabet and supported by Sparkle, and the Lagos State government.
President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, added that the tournament is a big gain for Nigeria and a test of her capacity for event management on a bigger scale.
“We have been on a strategic drive to grow the game of cricket and one of our objectives is to grow the capacity of our personnel to align with our purpose of delivering commensurate values to every stakeholders invested in us.
“This event helped us tick the column on global exposure for partnering brands as all our matches have been streamed seamlessly, from the first day, to millions of fans across the world,” he concluded.
The event, will be concluded on Sunday, October 15, 2023, when the winner of the two semi-final matches will lock horns.
