Captain of Nigeria’s men’s cricket team, Sylvester Okpe, has admitted that his side fell short of expectations in their 117-run defeat to Namibia during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Harare.
The Yellow Greens were outplayed as Namibia posted a commanding total, capitalizing on Nigeria’s failure to execute their bowling plans. Speaking after the game, Okpe acknowledged the shortcomings but urged his teammates to bounce back quickly.
Read Also: Falconets Coach Aduku Hails Convincing 4–0 Aggregate Victory
“We didn’t bowl according to plan, and that gave them too many runs,” Okpe said. “In T20 cricket, once you allow a side like Namibia to settle, it’s very difficult to pull it back.”
Despite the heavy defeat, Okpe highlighted some positives, particularly in Nigeria’s batting intent, even though it wasn’t enough to chase down the target.
“I’m proud that we showed some fight with the bat. We went out there with the right intent, but it was always going to be tough after conceding that many runs,” he explained.
The captain, however, maintained confidence in his squad, noting that their focus has now shifted to the next group game against Kenya.
“This is a learning curve for us. We can’t dwell on this loss because the tournament is still on. Our target is to regroup and make sure we execute better in the next game,” Okpe added.
Nigeria’s participation in the qualifiers is part of a long-term development project for cricket in the country, and Okpe insisted that setbacks like this are opportunities for growth.
