Cricket
Exclusive: Nigeria Set Ambitious Target for ICC U19 Women's World Cup
Nigeria's U19 Women's Cricket Team makes history by qualifying for the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup. Coach Sarah Bhakita targets a semi-final finish in Malaysia. As cricket gains popularity in Nigeria, more fans are turning to cricket betting to back their team during the tournament.
Image Credits: Nigeria Cricket Federation
Nigeria's Junior Female Yellow Greens made history in September with their maiden qualification for the 2025 ICC U19 Women's World Cup in Malaysia.
The west African country stunned favourites Zimbabwe to secure the sole qualification ticket for the continent after an unbeaten campaign in Rwanda.
The success of the Junior Female Yellow Greens was orchestrated by former Kenyan cricket star, Sarah Bhakita who leads the team as head coach.
Bhakita started her coaching career with Nigeria in 2023 and after accomplishing a historic feat with her team, she has set a target of reaching at least the semi-final of the ICC U19 Women’s World Cup in January 2025.
“The qualification is my biggest achievement as a coach so far in my first assignment with a national team. I started coaching in 2023, after I retired in Rwanda in 2022. My first job is with the Nigeria U19 women’s team,” Bhakita told SportsBoom.
“For my next target with the girls, I know their capabilities that they are very good, disciplined, hardworking and very focused. Our next target is at least a semi-final place at the World Cup.”
Nigeria’s Qualification was Not By Luck
Nigeria secured Africa’s only qualifying ticket after their final match against Zimbabwe was abandoned due to bad weather.
They secured their place in Malaysia after amassing the highest points during the group stage and Bhakita has insisted that it was not luck as her team worked their way to the top.
In their run to the final game, the West Africans defeated Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe in the group stage before edging out Rwanda in the semi-final.
The Kenyan coach added: “It was not luck because if it was luck, we would not have won all our games in the group stage. I believe if it had not rained, it still would not be an easy game for Zimbabwe. We had a bad start in the final but we were picking up when we started bowling, we got one of their wickets.
“Our qualification for the World Cup was amazing, it is a dream come true for the girls and God crowned it all for me with his favour. It was not easy so clinching that sole ticket to the World Cup was a very big achievement and we don't take it lightly. The girls worked really hard for it and I see it as opportunity meets preparedness.
We won all our matches in the group stage and when we got to the final, there was heavy rainfall so when the match was abandoned and we had more points than Zimbabwe, but if we had lost some matches in the group stage, it would not have been the same story.
Sarah Bhakita
Growth of Cricket in Nigeria
The U19 Women’s World Cup qualification underscores the growth of cricket in Nigeria under the leadership of Uyi Akpata, the President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation with experienced cricket legends in charge of the national teams.
Nigeria’s men national team is led by Kenyan cricket legend, Steve Tikolo while former Kenya women’s vice-captain, Bhakita leads the women’s U19 team and former Nigeria captain, Leke Oyede is in charge of the country’s women national team.
Bhakita gave credit to the the NCF for the feat and she also appreciated coaches across the various regions in Nigeria for breeding the talents in her squad.
“I don't think we would have qualified for the World Cup without the support of the Nigeria Cricket Federation and its technical department,” she continued.
“Their support was overwhelming and the technical bench from the team manager to the coaches got us the success.
“This is just Nigeria’s U19 women’s team, and we got these talented girls from across the country so the grassroots coaches across the regions did a tremendous job as well.
“Our success today is as a result of the good work other coaches are doing to produce fine players that will represent the nation.”
For the ICC U19 World Cup, Nigeria have been paired in Group C against New Zealand, Samoa and South Africa who did not participate in the qualifiers because they made it into the top 10 of the 2023 edition on home soil.
I’m Taiye Taiwo, an experienced sports journalists in Nigeria with focus on Nigeria sports, African sports & athletes and creating SEO contents for betting sites and blogs. I boast of mentions in several international English online platforms and my works have also been translated into French and Turkish.