Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the YellowGreens, began their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C campaign in emphatic fashion, crushing The Gambia by 160 runs in Abuja.
The opening match of the tournament was played on Tuesday at the NCF Oval 2 of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, where the hosts produced a dominant all-round display to send an early warning to their rivals.
Batting first, Nigeria piled up a massive 262 for one in their allotted 20 overs, thanks to a sensational unbeaten century from Selim Salau, who blasted 105 runs off 58 balls. He was brilliantly supported by Isaac Danladi, who struck 86 off 48 deliveries, while Isaac Okpe provided late fireworks with an unbeaten 56 off just 16 balls.
Faced with a daunting target, The Gambia struggled to build momentum and were eventually bowled out for 102 in 17.2 overs.
Nigeria’s bowling attack was led by Ridwan Abdulkareem and Sylvester Okpe, who claimed three wickets each to seal one of the most convincing victories of the tournament.
The impressive result gives the YellowGreens a perfect start to their quest for qualification as they prepare to face Zambia in their next match on Wednesday.
The six-team ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C features Nigeria, Zambia, Uganda, Lesotho, Mozambique and The Gambia, with the top two teams progressing to the 2027 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final, the next stage on the qualification pathway to the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Reacting to the dominant victory, the National Sports Commission congratulated the YellowGreens on their outstanding performance and expressed confidence that the team would sustain its impressive form as it pursues a place in the next round of the World Cup qualifiers.