Nigeria’s senior women’s cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, have made a significant impact at the 13th African Games in Ghana, qualifying for the semi-finals and causing a stir among the heavyweights in Group A.
Despite losing their last group game against South Africa, the continent’s top team, their performance has been commendable.
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The Female Yellow Greens’ journey in the tournament has been marked by determination and resilience. After a draw against Tanzania and a stunning 55-run victory over Namibia, the team secured a place in the semi-finals, finishing second in their group with three points and a superior net run rate of 0.778.
In their match against South Africa, team captain Blessing Etim won the toss and elected to bat first. Despite a strong start, Nigeria could only muster 74 runs all out in 20 overs. South Africa reached the target with 31 balls remaining, finishing with 78 runs for just six wickets in 14.5 overs.
The Female Yellow Greens will now face Zimbabwe, who topped Group B, in the second semi-finals on Monday at the Achimota Cricket Oval. The match is set to begin at 2:50pm Nigerian time.
The team’s impressive run in the last three weeks has not gone unnoticed. As a result, Nigeria has moved up two places in the latest International Cricket Council T20 rankings, now standing at 27th in the world and maintaining their eighth position in Africa.
The Female Yellow Greens’ success follows their second-place finish at the fifth Nigeria Cricket Federation Women’s T20i invitational tournament in Lagos. Between February and now, they have won five out of nine T20i games, including two victories against Rwanda and one against Namibia, both of whom are ranked higher.
Nigeria is now hot on the heels of Rwanda, who maintain their 26th place in the world rankings. South Africa remains fifth in the world and number one in Africa, while Australia continues to hold the top spot in the world rankings.
NCF president, Uyi Akpata, attributed the team’s performance to hard work and commitment. “We are pleased to see the girls play to near their full potential. I can assure that more is still coming, but honestly all this validates the work and the vision of the current leadership of federation,” Akpata said.
The Female Yellow Greens’ achievements in the African Games and their rise in the international rankings underscore the potential of Nigerian women’s cricket on the global stage.
