Nigeria’s women’s senior cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, endured a disappointing end to their 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 1 campaign in Namibia, suffering back-to-back defeats to Zimbabwe and Kenya that crushed their hopes of reaching the global stage.
Zimbabwe Humble Nigeria in Crushing 10-Wicket Loss
On Wednesday, Nigeria’s dream of progressing to the semi-finals was shattered following a heavy 10-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe.
Batting first, the Yellow Greens struggled to build meaningful partnerships and were bowled out for 90 runs in 19.5 overs. Despite a promising start, Zimbabwe’s bowling attack, led by captain Josephine Nkomo, proved too strong.
Wicketkeeper Sarah Etim top-scored for Nigeria with 25 off 22 balls, while Omonkhobhio Oseyande (16 off 10) and skipper Peculiar Agboya (12 off 16) made brief contributions.
However, Zimbabwe chased down the target with ease, as openers Kelis Ndlovu (44 off 46) and Modester Mapachikwa (36 off 40) combined for an unbeaten stand of 93, sealing the victory in 14.2 overs.
The defeat meant Nigeria finished third in their group with just two points from their only win against Sierra Leone, while Zimbabwe and Namibia advanced to the semi-finals.
Narrow Defeat to Kenya Compounds Woes
A day later, Nigeria missed the chance to bow out of the competition on a high, falling to a seven-run defeat against Kenya in a fifth-place classification match on Thursday.
Kenya, who won the toss and elected to bat, posted 105/7 in 20 overs, with Nigeria’s Piety Lucky starring with the ball after taking two wickets in four overs.
Lucky also impressed with the bat, scoring 35 runs off 29 balls, the highest for Nigeria in the chase. But despite her all-round display, the team fell short as wickets tumbled at crucial intervals.
Kenya’s Melvin Khagoitsa wrecked Nigeria’s lower order, claiming four wickets to bowl them out for 98 in 18.5 overs.
Seventh-Place Playoff Awaits
The result dropped Nigeria into the seventh-place classification match against Sierra Leone on Saturday, a far cry from their initial ambition of fighting for one of Africa’s two tickets to the global qualifiers later this year.
The Female Yellow Greens arrived in Namibia with high hopes, but failed to progress beyond the group stage and missing out on a semi-final berth.
Nigeria’s World Cup Drought Continues
The outcome means Nigeria’s wait to feature at the senior ICC Women’s T20 World Cup continues. While the country has achieved success at the U-19 level, including a historic outing at the 2025 U-19 Women’s World Cup, the senior sides (both male and female), remain without appearances at the sport’s flagship T20 tournaments.
