W’Cup qualifiers: NCF names Junior Yellow Greens squad

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The Nigeria Cricket Federation has unveiled the 14-player Junior Yellow Greens squad that will represent the country at the 2028 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2 in Rwanda from August 9 to 15, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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The Junior Yellow Greens will compete against Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda, Mozambique and Sierra Leone in the tournament, with promotion to Division 1 and a step closer to the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup at stake.

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The squad, led by Rahmon Ali, is the product of an intensive multi-phase selection process in Abuja and Lagos, with coaches assessing players based on their technical ability, discipline, attitude and capacity to perform under increasing levels of competition.

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The selection process began with an initial training camp in Abuja, where players identified during the National U-17 Championship were invited for assessment.

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The second phase also took place in Abuja, where the coaching crew blended the promising U-17 players with more experienced members of the age-grade setup.

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The final phase in Lagos proved to be the most demanding, with the coaching team narrowing the group to the final 14-man squad that will carry Nigeria’s hopes into the continental qualifier.

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Captain Ali will be joined by 13 other players, including Ismail Abdullahi, Andrew Abah, Precious Ayeni, Daniel Ayodele, Kenneth Boniface and Princewill Chigozie.

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Others are Bright Edem, Peculiar Egemasi, Okasha Isiyaku, Emmanuel Oladejo, Hossana Omokhobhio, Pelumi Orimolade and Folajimi Owolabi.

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With preparations now entering their final stage, the technical crew is focused on building a balanced and competitive side capable of progressing beyond the qualification tournament.

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“Our aim is to build a robust team with a strong batting line-up that can compete beyond this qualification. The objective isn’t just to qualify from Division 2; our ambition is to progress through Division 1 and earn a place at the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup,” head coach Daniel Gim said.

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Nigeria will begin their campaign against Uganda on the opening day, Sunday, August 9.

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The top three teams from the Division 2 qualifiers will join Kenya, Namibia and Tanzania in Division 1.

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