Nigeria’s Junior Female Yellow Greens received a significant morale boost on Sunday as the National Sports Commission (NSC) pledged $5,000 (approximately ₦7.56 million) to support their campaign at the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.
The NSC’s Director-General, Bukola Olopade, who visited the team at their base in Malaysia, commended their efforts and reiterated the Commission’s commitment to fulfilling all promises made to the team before and during the tournament.
Olopade further contributed $1,000 (₦1.512 million) personally to team captain Piety Lucky to purchase a laptop, a request she had made earlier.
Messages of Support from Leaders
In a statement posted via X (formerly Twitter), the NSC confirmed the pledge and shared words of encouragement:
“NSC Director General Bukola Olopade conveyed messages of support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, encouraging the team to continue their historic performance.”
Olopade also assured the team of additional rewards for every subsequent victory.
A Historic Run So Far
The Junior Yellow Greens, who are currently third in the Super Six Group 2 standings, are chasing history at the 16-nation tournament.
Despite their opening Super Six game against England being washed out due to rain on Saturday, Nigeria remains in contention for a semi-final spot.
The standings after the washed-out match see:
South Africa – 6 points
England – 4 points
Nigeria – 3 points (ahead of the USA on net run rate).
Nigeria will face Ireland on Wednesday in their final Super Six game at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval, Bangi.
A win could secure a semi-final berth, as the top two teams from each Super Six group advance to the last four.
Team’s Journey to the Super Six
The Nigerian team entered the tournament as underdogs but stunned the cricketing world by defeating New Zealand, a test-playing nation, during the group stage.
The upset secured their progression to the Super Six as Group C runners-up behind South Africa.
Their captain, Piety Lucky, remains confident in the team’s ability to make history, saying before the tournament:
“We came here with the belief that we can compete with the best, and our journey to this stage shows we are capable.”
The Junior Yellow Greens are one game away from rewriting Nigeria’s cricket history. Their performance so far has drawn admiration from fans and leaders alike, with the NSC’s support adding momentum to their ambitious run.
With South Africa and England leading the pack, Nigeria will need to bring their A-game against Ireland to achieve their semi-final dream.
Michele Wiers
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