The Nigeria national men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, have officially shifted their full focus to the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers, set for September 28 to October 4 in Zimbabwe, following the postponement of the ILT20 Cup.
To keep the team match-ready, the Nigeria Cricket Federation has confirmed their participation in the Pearl of Africa Series in Uganda, from July 17–27, 2025, where they will face Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, and the UAE.
Yellow Greens in Camp Since June 23 — Coach Tikolo Details Journey
Speaking on the team’s preparations, head coach Steve Tikolo confirmed that the Yellow Greens had been in camp for nearly three weeks, starting from June 23, initially in preparation for the ILT20 Cup.
“The senior men’s national cricket team, the Yellow Greens, has been in camp for about three weeks. We started on the 23rd of June in preparation for the ILT20 Cup, which was to take place in Uganda, but was later on shifted to Rwanda,” Tikolo said.
“We selected 20 players to be part of this training camp as we prepare for the tournament and as we look ahead at the qualifiers to be played later on in September.”
However, plans changed when the ILT20 Cup was postponed to a later date.
“After a week in camp, we got news that the ILT20 was not going to hold and was being shifted to the later part of the year,” he added.
“This news was a bit disappointing for us, but we decided we would go on with the camp, keeping an eye on the ICC T20 World Cup qualifier for September in Zimbabwe, because that is a big prize for us.”
The team’s spirits were lifted when a new opportunity presented itself.
“Two weeks later into the camp, we received again good news that we had been invited to be part of the Pearl of Africa Series in Uganda from the 17th of July to the 27th of July.”
“This was good news for us, because we really needed some game time and the opportunity to play some competitive cricket, since our last outing was last year November, where we played in the T20 World Cup qualifier regional tournament held in Abuja.”
Facing Top Sides: Namibia, Kenya, UAE, Uganda
Tikolo noted that the series presents a golden chance to build match fitness, test tactical systems, and earn valuable ranking points by competing against stronger teams.
All the teams involved in the Uganda tournament rank higher than Nigeria and have previously featured at global events, especially Namibia and the UAE.
He added that weather in Nigeria had posed a challenge for adequate outdoor practice sessions, making competitive match time in Uganda essential for team readiness.
Captain Okpe: “We Are Really Pumped”
Yellow Greens captain Sylvester Okpe shared the team’s excitement and determination ahead of the qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
“I would say the guys are really pumped because they all know that there’s a great chance for us to grab the tickets. We’ve already seen the fixtures and teams we’re playing against.”
“So for us, it’s a good one because we already know the things to beat and not do to see how we can get the performance right.”
With game time limited in recent months and no international match since November, Okpe stated the importance of the Pearl of Africa Series in helping the team find rhythm, test combinations, and build chemistry on the pitch.
Nigeria’s Yellow Greens Upcoming Cricket Fixtures
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July 17–27, 2025: Pearl of Africa Series – Uganda
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First match: Nigeria vs. Kenya – July 17
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Other opponents: Namibia, UAE, Uganda
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September 28 – October 4, 2025: ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier – Zimbabwe
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Teams: Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, and more
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The top team(s) from the Africa qualifier will secure a ticket to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
