Cricket: Sports commission DG hails U-19 team for win over New Zealand

The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, on Monday, congratulated the Nigeria U19 Cricket Team for their famous win over New Zealand at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.

The Nigeria Junior Female Yellow Greens, as the Nigerian U19 Team are fondly called, shocked the entire cricket world with a two-run win over the test-playing giant, New Zealand, on Monday.

The game, which was seen by many as a battle of underdogs and giants, was delayed for about two hours due to a heavy downpour before the Nigerian girls shocked one of the tournament’s top favourites.
Reacting to the team’s performance, the DG described the win as a famous one that will go down in the history books as one of the sport’s biggest upsets.

He said: “I am very excited for our U19 cricket team, and this particular win is worthy of celebration for so many reasons. The girls showed resilience, which is the true Nigerian spirit and patriotism, to upset a cricket giant like New Zealand.

“The result is also a testament to the kind of job the Nigeria Cricket Federation, through its President Uyi Akpata, has been doing to elevate the standard of the sport in Nigeria, and this is why the National Sports Commission, under the chairmanship of Mallam
Shehu Dikko, will continue to be very supportive to the Federation.”

The DG, however, urged the girls not to be carried away after beating the New Zealanders and charged them to see the victory as a stepping stone to bigger achievements.

He added, “I am very sure our girls can go all the way and shock the entire cricket world after the display they put up against New Zealand, and that is the focus of the team. Once again, congratulations to the girls.”

The historic victory over New Zealand has now put the Nigerian girls in pole position, topping its Group C standings at the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup 2025.