Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, will begin their quest for a place at the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a match against The Gambia in Abuja on Tuesday.
The opening fixture is part of the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C, a six-team competition scheduled to run until October 26 at the Nigeria Cricket Federation’s Oval 2.
Nigeria will also face Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Uganda in the round-robin tournament. The top two teams will progress to the Africa Regional Final in 2027.
Head coach Stephen Mangongo said the team had completed its preparations and was ready to begin the campaign.
“Calm before the storm. That’s all we need. We’ve done all the training. We are ready to go,” Mangongo said.
The Zimbabwean coach stressed the importance of translating the team’s preparations into consistent performances on the field as Nigeria seek one of the two available qualification places.
Nigeria will enjoy home advantage throughout the competition, but the team must produce strong results against its opponents to advance to the next stage.
The campaign represents another test for Mangongo, who was appointed head coach and high-performance manager in May.
Nigeria’s cricket development has recorded progress in recent years, including achievements by its age-grade teams. The senior side will now aim to build on that progress by advancing through the qualification process.
Nigeria are scheduled to face Zambia on October 21, Mozambique on October 23, Lesotho on October 24 and Uganda on October 25.
The opening match against The Gambia is an important early opportunity for the Yellow Greens to establish momentum in their bid to reach the 2028 global tournament.
