ICC Africa Qualifier: Yellow Greens Fall to Namibia

By Arinzechi Chukwunonso

Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, endured a tough outing in their second group game at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, falling to Namibia by 117 runs on Sunday in Harare.

Namibia, sent in to bat after Nigeria won the toss, made full use of the conditions with a commanding batting display. J. Frylinck lit up the crease with a breathtaking 134 off just 65 balls, while L. Steenkamp added a brisk 51 off 27 deliveries, steering Namibia to a formidable 235 for six in their allotted 20 overs. Despite the onslaught, Nigeria’s bowlers showed flashes of brilliance, with Isaac Danladi delivering a standout spell of 4 wickets for 22 runs in three overs, supported by captain Isaac Okpe, who picked up two vital scalps.

In reply, the Yellow Greens struggled against Namibia’s disciplined bowling attack. Sulaimon Runsewe (28), Sylvester Okpe (24), and Joseph Adedeji (16) offered resistance in the middle order, but wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving Nigeria to close on 118 for nine after 20 overs.

The spirited effort was not enough to chase down the towering target, but the team management remained upbeat. “It was a challenging outing against the Namibian side. We’ll take the lessons from this match, regroup as a team, and come back stronger in the next fixture,” a team spokesperson said afterwards.

Despite the loss, Nigeria remains firmly in contention for a semi-final berth. With two points from two matches — a win and a loss — and a net run rate of -1.373, the Yellow Greens sit second in their group. Victory in their next encounter against Kenya will all but guarantee qualification for the last four, while also improving their net run rate. The team now turns its full focus to that decisive clash, carrying with it the belief that their T20 World Cup dream remains very much alive.