Nigeria’s U-19 male cricket team is set to embark on a crucial journey as they depart the country on Thursday for a tour of Kigali, Rwanda. This tour comes as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2024 World Cup U-19 Africa Division One qualifiers, which will be held in Tanzania from July 23 to July 31. However, before heading to the tournament, the Nigerian side will engage in a training tour of Kigali.
Daniel Gim, the team’s head coach, expressed his excitement about the upcoming tour and shared his plans for the team. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, he stated, “We will be travelling tomorrow (Thursday) from Lagos. We are in transit now from Benin, where we have been in camp for weeks, heading to Lagos.”
Gim explained the rationale behind choosing Rwanda as their training destination, saying, “The choice of Rwanda for the training tour is because it is not far from Tanzania, and we expect that weather conditions are likely to be similar. This will help the players to acclimatise well ahead of the event, and we will be playing against some selected teams while in Rwanda to prepare the team as well.”
Nigeria is determined to secure the sole ticket to the 2024 World Cup in Sri Lanka. However, they face stiff competition from five other contenders: Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Uganda, and Kenya. The qualifying tournament promises to be a challenging battle for the teams, as they strive to secure their place in the prestigious World Cup.
With their departure imminent, the Nigerian U-19 cricket team is eager to showcase their skills and determination on the field. As they embark on their journey, the team is hoping for success and aiming to make their nation proud.
