Cricket: NCF sets date for 2026 Women’s T20i News

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Cricket: NCF sets date for 2026 Women’s T20i

By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 24, 2026

The Nigeria Cricket Federation has confirmed the return of the Women’s T20I Invitational Tournament, which will be held in Lagos from March 18 to 29, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Nigeria’s Female Yellow Greens will be joined by Ghana, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and the South Africa U-19 women’s team at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval.

Ghana last featured in the tournament in 2023, while Rwanda and Sierra Leone return for consecutive appearances.

The South Africa U-19 women’s team are newcomers to the tournament, which has now been expanded to five teams.

The competition, which began as a bilateral series with Rwanda, was not held last year due to the NCF’s busy calendar.

Ahead of this year’s tournament, the federation has affirmed its readiness to use the competition as a high-performance platform for the team.

“The tournament is expected to attract strong regional competition while providing valuable match exposure for elite and emerging female players ahead of key international engagements,” the NCF said in a statement.

The Female Yellow Greens won the tournament for the first time in 2023 before surrendering the title to Tanzania in 2024, while Rwanda last won it in 2022.

Meanwhile, the NCF is also preparing for the seventh edition of the National U-17 Championship for boys and girls, with zonal qualifiers scheduled to take place from February 10 to 23 across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

“The zonal qualifiers form a vital part of Nigeria’s cricket development pathway, providing young players with a structured platform to test their skills against peers from other states. For many participants, the championship represents a first opportunity to compete in a high-pressure, multi-state environment while gaining valuable exposure and experience,” the NCF statement read.

The National U-17 Championship has been instrumental in discovering new cricket talent in the country, with many graduates going on to represent Nigeria at events such as the ICC Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 24, 2026