By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
Coaches of Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, The Gambia, Mozambique and Lesotho have declared their ambitions to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C begins in Abuja.
At a pre-tournament press conference, the six teams expressed confidence in their chances, with only two places available at next year’s Africa finals.
Nigeria head coach Steve Mangongo said the hosts were determined to use home advantage to move closer to the global tournament.
“We are in it to win it. This is a pathway to the World Cup, and when you have an opportunity to be on that pathway, you take it as seriously as possible,” Mangongo said.
He added that Nigeria had completed its preparations and was ready to deliver a strong performance against the five competing nations.
Uganda, who featured at the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, are also targeting a return to the global stage after missing out on the previous qualifying opportunity.
The team’s media manager, Innocent Noawula, said the Cricket Cranes were determined to correct past mistakes. He also warned that Lesotho, Zambia and The Gambia could spring surprises.
Zambia head coach Isaac Mwaba described the competition as a valuable opportunity for his team, which is returning to ICC competition after an eight-year absence.
The Gambia head coach David Prince Johnson acknowledged that limited training opportunities and a lack of indoor facilities had affected preparations during the rainy season. However, he insisted his players would compete with determination.
Mozambique head coach Thomas Pecane said his team had worked to improve its batting, bowling and fielding, expressing confidence that it could cause upsets despite its relatively low ranking.
Lesotho head coach Alex Mavhibe also targeted a top-two finish, despite limited cricket infrastructure and the team’s reliance on concrete wickets for training. He said preparations in neighbouring South Africa had helped expose his players to different playing surfaces.
The six-nation tournament begins on Tuesday, October 20, in Abuja, with Nigeria hoping to turn home advantage into qualification for the Africa finals.
With two places at stake, all six countries will be looking to keep their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ambitions alive.
