Nigeria’s Junior YellowGreens have secured promotion back to Division One of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa pathway after finishing second in the Division Two qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.
The young Nigerians sealed their return to the higher division in emphatic fashion, defeating Sierra Leone by 165 runs in their final match of the competition.
Nigeria posted an imposing 311 for nine in 50 overs, with Kenneth Boniface producing a superb unbeaten century from 74 balls. His innings included 10 fours and three sixes.
Captain Ali Rahmon also played a key role, scoring 74 runs from 88 deliveries, while Peculiar Egemasi, Hossana Omonkhobhio and Abdullahi Ismail contributed valuable runs to help Nigeria set a challenging target.
Sierra Leone struggled against Nigeria’s disciplined bowling attack and were eventually bowled out for 146 runs in 45.5 overs.
Daniel Ayodele and Pelumi Orimolade claimed three wickets each, while Abdullahi Ismail added two wickets to complete a dominant performance.
The Junior YellowGreens won four of their five matches during the tournament, combining aggressive batting with disciplined bowling to finish second on the table and earn promotion.
Nigeria will now compete in Division One alongside Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, presenting the young side with a tougher challenge on the next stage of their development.
The promotion represents an important milestone for Nigerian youth cricket and provides the Junior YellowGreens with another opportunity to compete against some of Africa’s strongest emerging cricket nations.
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