Nigeria’s Yellow Greens Eye Back-To-Back West Africa Trophy Triumph In Abuja

According to Ireporter Online, Nigeria’s men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, are set to defend their West Africa Trophy title when they face Zambia in the opening match of the 2025 tournament in Abuja on Thursday.

The Yellow Greens captured the inaugural edition of the competition in 2023, completing an unbeaten campaign that culminated in an 18-run victory over Rwanda at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos. Sierra Leone and Ghana also participated in that debut tournament.

This year, Rwanda and Sierra Leone return to the competition, with the two teams scheduled to face each other in the second match of the opening day.

Nigeria will aim to regain momentum after narrowly missing out on qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Former Kenyan international Steve Tikolo coaches the squad, which will be led by wicketkeeper Sulaimon Runsewe. Key players include Selim Salau, Ali Rahmon, Daniel Ajekun, Danladi Isaac, and the Okpe brothers, Sylvester and Isaac, who bring valuable international experience to the team. Additional squad members include Vincent Adewoye, Kenneth Boniface, Prosper Useni, Ukasha Ishaku, Elochukwu Ndubudem, Joshua Asia, and Abdullahi Ismail.

Zambia, replacing Ghana in this edition, will make their official T20 International debut after regaining ICC membership. Their team is captained by Javid Patel and includes Jakir Patel, Lawrence Mutale, Mohammed Asim, Musonda Yambayamba, Shahnawaz Patel, Zoyeb Chand, and wicketkeeper Benson Chama, alongside Mohammad Bhaidu, Abbasbhai Patel, Aslam Bera, Ayaz Dadabhai, Salman Patel, and Soyeb Pendi.

Following their opener against Zambia, the Yellow Greens will face Sierra Leone on Friday, 5 December, and conclude their first-round fixtures against Rwanda the next day. All four teams will compete in a triple round-robin format, with the top two sides advancing to the final.