Nigeria U-19s beat Mozambique in Cricket World Cup qualifier

By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria’s U-19 men’s cricket team continued their impressive run in the ICC Men’s U-19 World Cup Africa Division Two Qualifier, recording a third consecutive victory after defeating Mozambique and hosts Rwanda by seven wickets at the Gahanga Main Oval.
The victory over the Southern African side is particularly significant for Nigeria after the team had already demonstrated its batting strength earlier in the competition.
It was an emphatic win over Mozambique, in which Nigeria posted 461 for six before dismissing their opponents for 54, produced a massive 407-run victory on Thursday.
The latest triumph underlined Nigeria’s growing credentials in the qualification race, coming after earlier victories over Sierra Leone and Mozambique.
The team has now put together a perfect three-match winning streak and is building strong momentum as the tournament enters its decisive stage.
On Wednesday, Nigeria produced another commanding performance against Rwanda, restricting the hosts to just 79 runs in 23.1 overs after Rwanda elected to bat.
Rwanda, who had opened the tournament with convincing victories over Mozambique and Sierra Leone, struggled to reproduce that form as Nigeria’s bowlers kept the pressure on and wickets fell regularly.
Fabrice Kwizera was Rwanda’s highest scorer with 12 runs from 32 balls, while Cedrick Cyuzuzo made seven from 20 deliveries. Captain Jasper Nziza could manage only five runs.
With just 80 runs required for victory, Nigeria wasted little time in completing the job. The visitors reached 84 for three in only 15.2 overs to seal a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
Ali Rahmon led the chase with 24 runs from 38 balls, while Peculiar Egemasi contributed 19 from 20 deliveries.
Kenneth Boniface provided the finishing touch, smashing the decisive six to remain unbeaten on seven from five balls and earn the Player of the Match award.
With three wins from three matches, Nigeria has emerged as one of the sides to watch in the qualification battle and will now look to maintain its unbeaten record in the remaining fixtures.

With the qualification race entering a crucial phase, Nigeria’s three-match winning streak has placed the young side in a strong position, but the team will need to maintain its consistency in the remaining matches to secure its ultimate objective.