Nigeria’s U19 male cricket team coach, Daniel Gim, has set his sights on picking up the ticket to qualify for the 2026 U19 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s World Cup.
Nigeria will battle it out with the likes of Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Namibia, and Kenya for the sole ticket to represent Africa at the U19 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Lagos.
Gim revealed that the team is ready for the challenge, and they are adequately prepared for the tournament.
He said, “The team has prepared well, all thanks to the NCF, for giving us the support and the kind of preparation we desire to have.
“The preparations started a long time ago. At the time, we had about 38 players, and after rigorous training and practice, we had to trim the number to 24.
”Subsequently, we reduced the number to 17 who are in camp now, and from that number, we will name our final 14-man squad.
“We have had a series of trainings in Benin, Abuja, and now Lagos, where we are set to welcome other countries and begin our quest for a World Cup opportunity.
Gim also added that the players will not underrate the teams in the qualifiers.
He said, “The players are ready and are very confident. Over the past couple of weeks, we have managed to improve their game to a certain level, so that their confidence level is very high.
“They are ready for the task ahead, and we will not underrate or overrate any team but will look to play the best version of cricket.
“Although we will have the fans on our side. Also, we are familiar with the wicket and weather conditions, which will be to our advantage, but we will not be complacent.
“We have a very good batting and bowling side, and our fielding is fantastic. We are a balanced team and we want to play a game from both sides, whether bowling or batting.”
The matches will be played at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Cricket Oval and the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Cricket Oval.
Nigeria will begin their campaign against Namibia at the TBS Oval, while Kenya will meet Sierra Leone at the Unilag Oval on March 28 on the opening day of the tournament.
Nigeria Ready To Beat Kenya, Sierra Leone To World Cup Ticket – Coach is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
