Mangongo demands calm as Nigeria begins cricket W’Cup quest

Nigeria head coach Stephen Mangongo

Nigeria head coach Stephen Mangongo has urged the Yellow Greens to remain calm and execute their plans as they begin their bid to qualify for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against The Gambia in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mangongo said the team had completed its preparations and was ready for the opening fixture of the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C at the Nigeria Cricket Federation Oval 2.

“Calm before the storm. That’s all we need. We’ve done all the training. We are ready to go,” Mangongo said.

The Zimbabwean coach also stressed the importance of translating their work in training into performance on the field as Nigeria seek to secure one of the two qualification places available in the six-team tournament.

The Yellow Greens will face The Gambia before taking on Zambia on Wednesday, with Mozambique, Lesotho and Uganda also among their opponents in the round-robin competition.

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The top two teams will progress to the Africa Regional Final in 2027, keeping their hopes of reaching the 2028 tournament alive.

Nigeria will have home advantage throughout the competition, which runs until October 26 in Abuja, but must produce consistent performances against their rivals to advance.

The campaign represents another important test for Mangongo, who was appointed head coach and high-performance manager in May, as he continues his work with the national team.

Nigeria are seeking to build on their development in recent years and establish themselves among Africa’s leading cricket nations.

With the opening match against The Gambia offering an early opportunity to make a statement, Mangongo will expect his players to show discipline and composure as they begin their qualification campaign.

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