Nigeria’s Female Yellow Greens saw their 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 1 campaign come to an end on Wednesday after a dominant 10-wicket loss to Zimbabwe, a test-playing nation, in Namibia, The PUNCH reports.
Nigeria struggled with the bat, managing just 90 runs before being bowled out in 19.5 overs. Zimbabwe’s bowlers—led by the impressive Josephine Nkomo—kept constant pressure and made scoring difficult.
Wicketkeeper Sarah Etim was the standout with the bat for Nigeria, scoring a determined 25 from 22 deliveries. Omonkhobhio Oseyande pitched in with a brisk 16 off 10 balls and captain Peculiar Agboya contributed 12 from 16, but the team struggled to form lasting batting partnerships.
Frequent loss of wickets at key moments prevented Nigeria from posting a more competitive total, leaving them with little to defend.
Zimbabwe’s openers made light work of the chase, steering their team to victory with a composed and dominant display.
Kelis Ndlovu anchored the reply with 44 runs off 46 balls, while Modester Mapachikwa supported with 36 from 40. Together, they ensured Zimbabwe reached the target without any setbacks, finishing on 93 for no loss in just 14.2 overs.
Nigeria’s bowlers were unable to make a breakthrough as the Zimbabwean openers remained untroubled, completing an unbeaten partnership to seal the win.
With this defeat, Nigeria placed third in their group, collecting two points from their sole victory over Sierra Leone. Zimbabwe and hosts Namibia progressed to the semi-finals, ending Nigeria’s hopes for qualification.
The Female Yellow Greens will now compete in classification playoff matches as their tournament journey continues.
