Nigeria’s Female Under-19 Cricket Team Gets ICC Applauds

Head of Global Development for the International Cricket Council (ICC), William Gelenwright, has applauded Nigeria’s female Under-19 cricket team, known as the Junior Female Yellow Greens, for an impressive performance at the 2025 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.

The Nigeria cricket youth side, who are expected to return to Nigeria today, January 31, finished sixth in the tournament, which means they have secured automatic qualification for the next edition of the event.

The team’s campaign ended on Wednesday with a thrilling six-run victory over Ireland in their second Super 6 match, marking their second win in three matches.

They achieved an exciting two-run victory against New Zealand in their inaugural ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Their sole loss came against South Africa in the group stage.

The Junior Female Yellow Greens advanced from the group stage as the second-best team and finished third in the Super 6, just one point shy of England, who claimed the second semi-final spot.

Although they faced two rain-affected matches against Samoa and England, the team demonstrated resilience and skill throughout the competition, paving the way for future Under-19 women’s players in 2027. With their performance, Nigeria gained automatic entry into the next tournament in Nepal and Bangladesh.

Despite narrowly missing out on the semi-finals, their efforts were commendable, marking them as the first West African team to participate in the tournament and helping to raise the profile of cricket in Nigeria.

“A stunning performance by Nigeria”, Gelenwright told reporters after Junior Female Yellow Greens’ win over Ireland. “This tournament could very well be a turning point for Cricket Nigeria and the establishment of a new powerhouse in African cricket.”

As the tournament ends this Sunday, today features the semi-finals, with unbeaten South Africa facing Australia and reigning champions India competing against the formidable England.