Cricket: Nigeria stays unbeaten in W’cup qualifiers

Nigeria’s senior male cricket team, the Yellow Greens, continued their dominance at the 2026 ICC World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C with a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Eswatini at the NCF Oval 2, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, on Tuesday.  

Eswatini opted to bat first after winning the toss, putting up a challenging total of 137 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs.

Their captain, Adil Butt, was the standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 88 runs from 60 balls.

However, Nigeria’s bowlers, led by Isaac Danladi and Ridwan Abdulkareem with three wickets each, ensured Eswatini’s batters could not capitalize further.

In response, the Yellow Greens faced a rocky chase. Despite none of the Nigerian batters reaching a half-century, they managed to secure the win thanks to a collective effort.

Eswatini bowlers, including Minhaz Khojbariya, Mancoba Jele, Melusi Magagula, and Butt, each claimed a wicket but could not halt Nigeria’s march to their third consecutive victory in the qualifiers.

The Yellow Greens remain unbeaten and firmly in contention for qualification.

Despite the nail-biting innings, Steve Tikolo’s side were able to complete their chase in 63 minutes, posting 138 runs for the loss of five wickets in 15 overs and picking a five-wicket win for their third of the tournament.

The win keeps Nigeria at the top table with six points and in pole position for one of the two spots in the final phase of the qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Botswana kept up the chase behind Nigeria after winning their third game of the series with a dominant 10-wicket win over Ivory Coast.

Sierra Leone also moved up to four points to stay third and contend for a place as well after beating St. Helena by four wickets.