Nigeria draws Ghana, Rwanda in Group A

Nigeria will play the opening game of the forthcoming Women’s T20I Tournament against Ghana at the Tafawa Balewa Square, the draws have revealed.

In the draws released at the weekend, Nigeria is in Group A alongside Ghana and The Gambia after being seeded along with Rwanda.

The two are the highest-ranked teams on the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 log.

Rwanda is the highest-ranked team at 31, Nigeria occupies the 37th spot, while Sierra Leone is 44th. Ghana, The Gambia and Cameroun have no place on the ranking, a chance, which the event presents, should they perform respectably.

According to renowned analysts, Ijeoma Okigbo, the game against Ghana, while being a tough one, maybe in favour of the host team given the level of exposure and experience that the Nigerian team packs. “
Nigeria’s team may be a very youthful side, but they are very experienced given the exposure they have had in the last two years.

“They played in Rwanda and Botswana together as a team and also camped for a while to make those events. I see that as an edge that will play out during the opening game,” she said.

The second match of the opening day will be from Group B (Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Cameroun), between Rwanda and Cameroun. It is a game, which Okigbo says, will most definitely be Rwanda’s game.

“Rwanda is enjoying a great bond and their women’s team is on top of their form. But again, I see Cameroun coming to the event to show how far they have improved from their last dismal show in Botswana at the Women’s T20 World Cup qualifier. I even think they may be one of the teams to watch out for at the event.”

Each of the teams will play four games at the event and all the matches would be played at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.