Nigeria’s senior women’s cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, are set to face Malawi in a decisive round-robin game at the ongoing 2024 Kwibuka Women’s T20i Cricket tournament in Rwanda. Currently fourth in the table with six points, a victory today would secure them a spot in the third-place playoff match.
The team’s hopes of securing a top-two finish and advancing to the final were dashed by a 64-run loss against second-placed Zimbabwe. Despite a challenging target of 158 runs set by Zimbabwe, Nigeria managed to score only 94 runs in 18.2 overs.
However, the Female Yellow Greens remain undeterred. Their captain, Favour Eseigbe, insists they won’t underestimate their opponents, despite Malawi having only one win in the tournament so far. “We can’t underrate our opponents, we just have to do our job and continue the learning curve. We won’t back down, we are here to compete after all,” Eseigbe said.
Meanwhile, Kenya, currently in fifth place, will be playing against Botswana in a bid to displace Nigeria. Hosts Rwanda, currently in third place, could also sneak back into the top two if they manage to beat Zimbabwe, who hold just a two-point lead.
Uganda, comfortably at the top of the table, are set to face Cameroon, and are assured of a place in the final playoffs. The 10th edition of the Kwibuka tournament will conclude on Saturday with the classification games.
With the stakes high and the competition fierce, the Female Yellow Greens are determined to put up a strong performance in their must-win match against Malawi. Their journey in the tournament serves as a testament to their resilience and competitive spirit.
