3 After months of preparation, the Nigerian U-19 Women Cricket Team, Junior Yellow Greens, will face their last acid test on January 18, before the World Cup begins in Sarakawa, Malaysia. The final warm-up match will take place today against Pakistan at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval in Bangi at 3:30 p.m. local time. Nigeria is making her debut at the Cricket U-19 World Cup for Women as the sole qualifier from the African qualifying series in Kigali in October 2024, edging highly rated Zimbabwe, Uganda among others to pick the spot. Captain of the Nigerian side Lucky Piety, will lead her team to face the eighth-ranked team in the world on the T20 log, where they are ranked 26th. The president of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, said this event is a milestone for the country’s Cricket, and he believes the girls will not make light work of the moments that the World Cup presents. “The girls have been at different camp sessions since they qualified in October, and they concluded one last weekend in India before heading finally to Malaysia. I believe these exposures will come together to enhance their performance.” he stated. Uyi said he and the board of the Nigeria Cricket Federation are pleased with the support and encouragement that the leadership of the Nigeria Sports Commission has extended to the Federation and the team flying the country’s flag.
