Cricket: Nigeria Seek Bounce-Back in Quadrangular Tourney

Nigeria will be seeking a bounce-back victory when they face Nigeria A in the reverse fixture of the Nigeria T20 Quadrangular Series at the TBS Cricket Oval in Lagos on Friday.

The Yellow Greens suffered a 19-run defeat to their compatriots in their first meeting of the competition and will be looking to respond strongly in the return fixture.

Nigeria A currently lead the four-team competition with six points from three matches after winning all their games. Nigeria and Sierra Leone have three points each, while Ghana remain without a point.

Nigeria’s scheduled encounter with Sierra Leone was washed out, allowing both sides to share the points. Nigeria A, meanwhile, strengthened their position at the top of the table with an eight-wicket victory over Ghana.

In their previous meeting, Nigeria A posted 139 for eight in 20 overs before restricting the senior national team to 120 for seven.

Sylvester Okpe provided a late burst with 17 runs from eight deliveries, while Bright Edem scored 25 from 22 balls. Captain Mohammed Taiwo then struck an unbeaten 18 from just six deliveries to help Nigeria A post a competitive total.

The senior side will now aim to produce a stronger performance in the reverse fixture and reduce the gap at the top of the standings.

A victory would move Nigeria to within one point of Nigeria A, with two matches remaining for each team in the competition.

The Quadrangular Series features Nigeria, Nigeria A, Sierra Leone and Ghana and is being used to provide competitive match experience ahead of upcoming international engagements.

The tournament is also part of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2028 T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional C Qualifier, scheduled to take place in Abuja from October 18 to 25.

The national team has been working under high-performance manager Stephen Mangongo, who was appointed earlier this year on a three-year contract.

With the competition reaching a crucial stage, Nigeria will hope to recover from their previous defeat and strengthen their position ahead of the remaining fixtures.

The reverse fixture against Nigeria A therefore offers the Yellow Greens an immediate opportunity to respond and keep their campaign on course.