By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 23, 2025

Ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, which will be played in Zimbabwe from September 26 to October 4, Nigeria’s male cricket team, the Yellow Greens, lost their first warm-up game against Tanzania by one wicket on Monday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

It was the first of two warm-up games before the qualifiers get underway on Friday.

Nigeria batted first in the encounter, posting 83 runs for the loss of 10 wickets in 17.4 overs, while Tanzania bettered that in the second innings with 84 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 19.2 overs.

Despite the result, players like Isaac Danladi, Ridwan Abdulkareem and Peter Aho managed to shine.

Dannaldi, who has been with a Zimbabwean club for the last one month, was solid with the bat, getting 31 runs of 33 balls. Abdulkareem was the closest Nigerian with 14 runs off 25 balls.

For Tanzania’s edge, the best batter in the game, Abhik Рatwa, only managed 22 runs Aho also wreaked havoc with the ball, grabbing three wickets, conceding 15 runs in 3.2 overs.

Tanzania U-20 captain, Laksh Bakraina, who has now been promoted into the senior team, was a menace on the ball, pecking three wickets for 11 runs in four overs.

The Yellow Greens will have another chance to perfect their game ahead of the qualifiers on Wednesday when they face Zimbabwe.

Their first game in the qualifiers will be against Malawi on Friday.

 Led by former Kenya star Steve Tikolo, the Nigerian team camped in Lagos since the end of their campaign at the Pearl of Africa tourney in Uganda in July.

Nigeria will battle Namibia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Botswana in the final of the qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

The Yellow Greens came top of the Africa qualifier Group B last year to book their spot in the final round, which will produce two other teams from Africa.

Fifteen countries, including South Africa, have already booked their spots at the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka between February and March 2026.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 23, 2025

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