The camp of Nigeria’s senior women’s cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, is brimming with anticipation as head coach Leke Oyede prepares to unveil the final 15-player squad for the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers.
Currently in a closed camp in Lagos, the players are intensifying preparations for the tournament scheduled to take place in Namibia from August 28 to September 7. The official squad list is expected to be announced on Monday.
Oyede began training with 22 players last month in Benin City, Edo State, before trimming the squad to 18 for the final phase in Lagos.
Expressing confidence in his team’s chances, the coach said, “I think we have a big chance at qualifying. Two teams are qualifying from the stage for the global qualifiers. If we put up a good fight, we can make it into the semis, which determines the qualification.”
Nigeria’s opening matches will see them face Sierra Leone before taking on hosts Namibia. Oyede noted that the team’s recent victory over Namibia had boosted their morale and sent a message to their rivals.
“Namibia used to beat us, but we have beaten them recently, and that has helped us a lot. Every opponent knows we aren’t coming just to participate. How well we do in our first two games will go a long way in pushing us towards our goal,” he added.
The Female Yellow Greens will compete against Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone, with the top two teams advancing to the global qualifiers later in the year.
The 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be hosted in England.