The Nigerian U-19 women’s cricket team got off to a perfect start at the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia, defeating Ireland by six wickets on Saturday in their opening group match. Opener Chiamaka Okeke scored a quickfire 42 off 28 balls to anchor the chase and help Nigeria reach the target with 11 balls to spare.
Captain Esther Nwobodo was delighted with the team’s performance.
“This is just the beginning. We came here to win matches and we will keep fighting. The girls showed character today and we are very proud of the way we played,” she said after the match.
Coach Adekunle Adegbola praised the batting display and the disciplined bowling.
“We executed our plans perfectly. The bowlers restricted Ireland to a low total and the batters chased it down calmly. This is a great confidence booster for the rest of the tournament,” the coach told reporters.
The victory has sent waves of excitement back home. Nigerian cricket fans on social media have been celebrating the win, with many saying this is the beginning of something special for women’s cricket in the country. Hashtag #NigeriaCricket trended for several hours. One fan wrote: “Our girls are making us proud! From zero to heroes in international cricket. Keep winning!”
Nigeria now face tougher opponents in the coming days but the team has shown they can compete at this level. The entire squad is determined to go as far as possible in the tournament and make history for Nigerian sports.
