Nigeria no longer cricket underdogs – Akpata

President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata. Photo: Nigeria Cricket Federation

President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, says the country’s recent successes on the international stage have changed perceptions of its national teams, insisting that Nigeria are no longer underdogs in cricket, The PUNCH reports.

Akpata said the federation’s priority was to sustain the momentum through improved preparation, high-performance programmes and a strong governance structure.

“We are no more underdogs. They are watching us, and we, as a board, need to position our teams to be competitive. During our last board meeting, it was all about high performance,” Akpata told our correspondent in Abuja after Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier progress.

“As I’ve always said, Nigeria will be at three World Cups consecutively.

“Sustaining this is not about me. The board is doing that through the programmes we have in place and the governance structure,” he said.

Nigeria’s recent achievements have provided substance to Akpata’s confidence, with the senior men’s team recording a landmark victory over Uganda in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C in Abuja last month.

The hosts produced a remarkable late recovery to edge Uganda by one run, ending a losing run that had stretched across their previous 13 T20 International meetings.

The victory was another significant milestone for Nigerian cricket, coming after the Junior Female Yellow Greens secured qualification for the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

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Nigeria defeated Zimbabwe by four runs in a dramatic final of the Africa Qualifier Division One in Tanzania in September to book their place at the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.

The qualification marked the team’s second consecutive appearance at the competition, having finished sixth at the 2025 edition in Malaysia.

The senior women’s team, the Female Yellow Greens, have also enjoyed success this year, winning the NCF T20 International Invitational Tournament, tagged the Patricia Kambarami Cup, after edging Rwanda by nine runs.

In the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings released on November 1, 2026, the national men’s team are seventh in Africa and 40th in the world, behind South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania on the continent.

The Female Yellow Greens occupy the same position in Africa, ranking seventh behind South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia, Tanzania and Rwanda, while sitting 26th in the world.