Onome Oghenekevwe, coach of the under-19 women’s national cricket team, says the team is optimistic of picking the World Cup ticket at the qualifiers in Botswana.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of nine countries will participate in the 10-day Africa qualifiers.
Only the winners of the qualification tournament will get the sole ticket to the maiden Under-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa in January.
Oghenekevwe, whose team has been in closed camping in Edo, told NAN on Sunday the team would leave Benin for Lagos later in the day before departing for Botswana on Wednesday.
The coach said the team hope to replicate the feat of their male counterparts who qualified Nigeria to its first-ever World Cup appearance in 2019.
“We want to be at the World Cup. The girls are inspired by what the boys did in 2019. They are working tirelessly to replicate what they did.
“And we intend to take it one game at a time. Although we expect stiff competition from countries like Rwanda and Tanzania, but we are ready for the challenge.
“This competition boils down to game awareness, mental strength and fitness. We are doing our part as coaches and hope for the best when the tournament begins,” Oghenekevwe added.
Nigeria is expected to begin its campaign against Rwanda in the opening game of the tournament on Saturday, before facing Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania in Group A fixtures.
Group B will see hosts Botswana clash with Sierra Leone, Uganda and Namibia in the nine-nation tournament.
The tournament which begins on Saturday is expected to end on Sept. 12.
(NAN)
