Junior Yellow Greens Begin Quest for U-19 World Cup Ticket

Nigeria’s male U-19 cricket team, the Junior Yellow Greens, will face Namibia in their opening match of the 2026 ICC U-19 World Cup qualifiers at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos today.

The Junior Yellow Greens are seeking a second appearance at the men’s U-19 World Cup, having debuted at the 2020 edition in South Africa. Nigeria is hosting the final phase of the ICC Africa qualifiers, with five other teams – Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Namibia – vying for the sole ticket to the World Cup.

The six teams will compete in a round-robin format of 50 overs, with the top team advancing to the World Cup, which will be hosted in Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Nigeria’s captain, Gafar Kareem, expressed his team’s motivation, saying, “We just want to focus on ourselves and do the basics. My teammates and I have seen what our seniors did some years ago and what our female counterparts did at the World Cup in Malaysia. So, there is no pressure whatsoever on us, we just want to enjoy the moment.”

Head coach Daniel Gim emphasized the team’s readiness, stating, “I feel we are in a very good position, and the team is in good spirits to go into the tournament. We are well prepared, and playing at home will be an added advantage.”

The Junior Yellow Greens will face Tanzania on Sunday in their next match.