Nigeria’s Junior Yellow Greens strengthened their bid to regain a place in Division 1 of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup pathway after defeating hosts Rwanda by seven wickets at Kigali’s Gahanga Main Oval.
The result marked Nigeria’s second victory in three games at the ongoing ICC U19 Men’s World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2. They moved to third in the table on four points, with a net run rate of +1.531.
Nigeria’s bowlers established control from the outset, dismissing Rwanda for 79 in 23.1 overs. Emmanuel Oladejo set the standard with figures of 3/9 from five overs, including two maidens, while Abdullahi Ismail claimed 3/19 in seven overs and Keneth Boniface took 3/22 from six. The trio’s combined effort tore through the home side’s batting order.
Captain Ali Rahmon was pleased with the defensive performance but believed Nigeria could have been even more economical.
“Restricting them to around 80 was a very good effort, but we gave away too many extras during the opening 10 overs,” Rahmon said. “We could perhaps have held them to 60 or even 50.”
The chase was completed with little alarm as Nigeria reached 84/3 after 15.2 overs. Rahmon scored 24 from 38 balls and Hossana Omonkhobhio made 18 from 19, putting on 46 for the first wicket within nine overs.
After both openers were dismissed, Peculiar Egemasi guided the visitors through the closing stages with an unbeaten 19 from 20 deliveries. Boniface remained not out on seven from five balls and finished the contest in emphatic fashion by hitting a six.
Boniface’s contribution with both bat and ball earned him the Player of the Match award. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining composure during demanding qualification matches.
“When players lose confidence, the pressure only increases, so communication is important,” Boniface said. “Mistakes and setbacks will happen, but supporting and encouraging one another is what matters most.”
Nigeria have two matches left in their campaign. Their remaining fixtures are against Mozambique U19 and Sierra Leone U19 as they continue their pursuit of a place among the competition’s top-tier teams.
