Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, began their campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C with an emphatic 160-run victory over The Gambia in Abuja.
Nigeria posted 262 runs for the loss of one wicket in 20 overs before restricting The Gambia to 102 runs in 17.2 overs.
Wicketkeeper-batter Selim Salau led Nigeria’s batting performance with an unbeaten 105 off 58 balls, including 12 fours and three sixes.
Isaac Danladi also made a significant contribution, scoring 86 runs from 48 balls before he was dismissed in the 17th over.
Isaac Okpe provided a strong finish, remaining unbeaten on 56 from just 16 balls. His innings included three fours and six sixes, helping Nigeria finish with a commanding total.
The Gambian batting line-up struggled to keep pace with the required run rate. Andre Jarju top-scored for the visitors with 39 runs from 38 balls, while Frank Campbell contributed 25 from 20 deliveries.
Nigeria’s bowlers then completed the job, with Ridwan Abdulkareem and Sylvester Okpe taking three wickets each to dismantle The Gambia’s innings.
The result gives Nigeria an encouraging start in the six-team qualification tournament, which runs until October 26.
The Yellow Greens are competing against Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and The Gambia for two places in the 2027 Africa Regional Final. Nigeria’s next fixture is against Zambia on Wednesday.
The team will need to maintain its form across the remaining matches to secure progression to the next qualifying stage on the road to the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Salau’s century, Danladi’s contribution and Okpe’s late scoring surge were central to Nigeria’s commanding opening performance.
