Having put the disappointing debut against Australia at the 2020 ICC U-19 World Cup behind them, Nigerian team is ready to take on West Indies today with a renewed vigour.
The team had a light practice at the Country Club Oval Kimberley, Northern Cape in South Africa on Tuesday ahead of the second group game against unbeaten West Indies side that has beaten England and Australia.
The Nigeria’s side lost on Monday by 10 wickets to former champion Australia and Captain Sylvester Okpe has said that they would approach their next game with all the vigour required.
“This is the World Cup; we have moved on and set our sight on the next assignment. We appreciate the huge level of support we are getting from Nigerian here in South Africa and the feelers we are getting back from home.
“We had a two-hour strategy session, addressing all takeaways from the opening match and I believe we rose from the session stronger as a team and focused on the task ahead,” he said.
The Junior Yellow Green suffered their first defeat in two years in a competitive event with their huge loss to Australia and will be hoping to make a recovery with their second match with West Indies who are presently group leaders having won their two games at the event. They defeated Australia by 5 wickets and shoved aside England and are hoping to continue their good run against Nigeria to seal their place in the Super League at the tournament.
The Technical Director of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), Enesi Dahiru said that regardless of the outcome of games at the World Cup, the players have already put Nigeria into the big league by qualifying her for the World Cup for the first time in 105 years that the game has been played in the country.
However, the West Indies side through their captain, Kimani Melius has promised not to alter their selection when they take on Nigeria. “We are happy with the performance, and it will be hard to change a winning team,” skipper Kimani Melius said.