The team manager of Nigeria’s cricket national team, Barnaby Ephraim has declared that the country’s squad has what it takes to emerge tops in what he believes will be a tough contest at the ongoing ICC U19 World Cup qualifiers in Lagos.
Sports247 reports that the six-nation competition is currently underway at the cricket ovals of Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos Island and University of Lagos, Yaba, with Ephraim acknowledging that it will be a tough contest all the way, but he also predicted that the hosts will laugh last after the final on Saturday, April 6th.
Ephraim rationalised that, though he expects the Nigerians to finish top, he admitted they will not find it easy taking on Kenya, Uganda and Namibia, who had all been in division one before the hosts joined them with Sierra Leone and Tanzania, but all six countries are now eyeing just one U19 Cricket World Cup ticket.
The ream manager noted, “It’s going to be a very competitive outcome. We must remember that, some time in August last year, we and two other countries qualified from Division Two to Division One, where we are now facing three other teams that were already there … that is talking about Namibia, Kenya and Uganda.”
Despite expectations of a tough contest all the way to Saturday’s final, Ephraim expressed optimism that the Nigerian team, which is captained by Kareem Gafar, will pick the lone ticket to this year’s ICC U19 World Cup, as they did for the 2020 edition that took place in South Africa.
“Before this competition began, Nigeria Cricket Federation ensured that we had a very good preparation and the boys have improved tremendously. That’s why I think we stand a chance of snatching the ticket. I am positive,” Ephraim enthused.
