Nigeria’s male senior cricket team has left Nigeria for Rwanda to seek the only qualifying ticket for Africa in the 2022 T20 World Cup, an official said.
Taiwo Oriss, Secretary General of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that a 20-man contingent left Lagos for Kigali via RwandAir for the four hours, 30 minutes flight.
Oriss said the players were prepared for the task, adding that he is hopeful that the team would secure the tournament’s sole ticket.
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“The team has been training in their different locations since June, but finally reported to camp in September before traveling for a three-nation series involving Kenya and Uganda.
“They also had a bilateral series against Sierra Leone, all with a view to strengthen the team ahead of qualifiers.
“The team has trained very hard and we rely on God to give us victory,” he said.
The sports administrator also added that he is hopeful that the team “would repeat history like the Under-19 male team who qualified Nigeria for the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in 2019”.
NAN reports that the team would face Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, in a home and away format, playing six matches in the process.
The tournament will run from Wednesday to Nov. 21, with only the top team proceeding to the next qualifying stage.
(NAN)