Nigeria’s Junior YellowGreens have signed off their ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2 campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Sierra Leone by 165 runs to secure a second-place finish and, more importantly, book their return to Division One.
Nigeria’s campaign was defined by consistency, resilience and a strong response to pressure. The Junior YellowGreens won four of their five matches, ending the tournament with one of their most convincing performances — a dominant victory that underlined their readiness to return to the higher tier of African youth cricket.
In their final outing at Gahanga B Oval in Kigali, Nigeria posted an imposing 311/9 from 50 overs before bowling Sierra Leone out for 146 in 45.5 overs. The 165-run margin provided a fitting finale to a campaign in which the young YellowGreens steadily grew into the tournament.
At the centre of Nigeria’s final-day celebration was Kenneth Boniface, who produced arguably the defining individual performance of the campaign.
Boniface completed a magnificent unbeaten century from 74 balls, smashing 10 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 135.14. His explosive innings provided the finishing power to Nigeria’s 311-run total and capped a tournament in which he emerged as one of the side’s key performers.
Captain Ali Rahmon was equally influential, anchoring the innings with an accomplished 74 from 88 balls, including six fours and two sixes.
The pair’s contributions ensured Nigeria recovered strongly through the middle and closing stages of the innings, with the team reaching 311 for nine at the end of the allotted 50 overs.
The scorecard also highlights valuable contributions from Peculiar Egemasi, who made 33, Hossana Omonkhobhio with 30, and Abdullahi Ismail with 19.
With 312 required for victory, Sierra Leone found Nigeria’s bowling attack equally unforgiving.
Daniel Ayodele led the way with three wickets for 22 runs from eight overs, including two maidens. Pelumi Orimolade also claimed three wickets for 15 runs, while Abdullahi Ismail took two wickets for 28.
Sierra Leone were eventually dismissed for 146 in 45.5 overs, with Sahr Lebbie top-scoring with 41 and Ibrahim K Bangura contributing 27.
For the Junior YellowGreens, the significance of the tournament goes beyond the numbers.
The Junior YellowGreens’ second-place finish is more than a position on the table. It represents a successful response to the challenge of Division 2 and a significant step in Nigeria’s continued development of its next generation of cricketers.
Across five matches, Nigeria demonstrated the ability to win in different ways — through disciplined bowling, controlled chases, aggressive batting and, when required, individual brilliance.
The final victory was perhaps the perfect summary of that journey: a powerful batting display followed by a disciplined bowling performance.
Nigeria will now share the Division One stage with Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda — bringing a new set of challenges and opportunities for a young side that has just proven its ability to compete and win under pressure.