Nigeria Opens Africa Qualifier with Convincing Win Over Malawi
Oru Leonard
Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, began their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier campaign on a winning note, defeating Malawi by nine wickets in Harare on Thursday.
Malawi, sent in to bat by the YellowGreens Skipper Slyvester Okpe , were bowled out for 88 runs in 19.3 overs. Ridwan Kareem who was awarded player of the match (3/24) led the bowling attack with precision, ably supported by Emmanuel Udekwe (2/11) and Prosper Useni (1/4). Despite a valiant effort from S. Vayani, who top-scored with 27 runs, Malawi struggled to build momentum against Nigeria’s disciplined bowling.
In reply, Nigeria made light work of the target, reaching 92/1 in 11.3 overs. Sulaimon Runsewe anchored the innings with an unbeaten 51 off 44 balls, while Salau Selim added a quick 26 off 16 deliveries. Sesan Adedeji chipped in with 12 not out as Nigeria sealed the victory comfortably.
With this win, the YellowGreens have made a strong statement of intent as they push for qualification to the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Match Summary:
• Malawi: 88 all out in 19.3 overs (S. Vayani 27; R. Kareem 3/24, U. Emmanuel 2/11)
• Nigeria: 92/1 in 11.3 overs (S. Runsewe 51, S. Salau 26)
• Result: Nigeria won by 9 wickets.
(Zeal Ibe, Media Manager, NCF)
