By Akanimo Kufre
The Nigeria Men’s Cricket team on Friday recorded an encouraging victory over Malawi as the team looks motivated to grab an African ticket for the Cricket World Cup to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.
In Nigeria’s opening game at Takashinga, Harare, Nigeria’s Captain Sylvester Okpe intelligently chose batting first and his team mates delivered a superb fielding performance that restricted Malawi scores to 88 runs all out in 19.3 overs.
Ridwan Kareem, Emmanuel Udekwe, and Prosper Useni took wickets with fierce bowling attacks.
The second inning presented an opportunity where Nigeria’s squad gave an outstanding batting performance, reaching 92 run in 11.3 overs with the loss of a wicket.
Sulaiman Runsewe played 51 runs off 44 balls as Selim Salau and Sesan Adedeji added 26 and 12 runs, respectively, for a tally that easily upset Malawi’s target. Ridwan Kareem was awarded Player of the Match as Nigeria won by 9 wickets to send strong signals to Group A counterparts, Namibia and Kenya.
Group B teams include host Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, and Botswana. Two top finishers from the eight countries will grab the ticket to join the 2026 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
The younger Okpe who leads Nigeria’s campaign was very proud of his teammates’ focus and performances, saying, “We made great catches because we have practiced enough. We are here for a reason and not just to add numbers. We are here for the ticket, so every chance we get, we try to grab it.”
