Olopade hails historic victory for Nigeria women’s under-19 cricket team

The General Director of the National Sports Commission (CNS), His Excellency. Bukola Olopade has congratulated the Nigeria Under-19 cricket team for their sensational two-run victory over New Zealand at the ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.

The Nigeria Junior Female Yellow Greens, as the Nigerian Under-19 team is affectionately called, shocked the cricket world with Monday’s stunning upset, defeating one of the tournament’s heavyweights in a match delayed two hours due to heavy rains.

Describing the victory as monumental, Olopade said: “This victory will go down in history as one of the biggest surprises in sport. I am very excited for our U-19 women’s cricket team. This particular victory is worth celebrating for many reasons. “The girls showed resilience and embodied the true Nigerian spirit and patriotism to defeat cricketing giants like New Zealand.”

Also Read: Under-19 Cricket Cup: Nigeria stuns New Zealand to historic victory

Olopade attributed the achievement to the efforts of the Nigeria Cricket Federation under its president, Uyi Akpata, and assured the continued support of the NSC, headed by Mallam Shehu Dikko.

“This result is a testament to the work being done to raise the level of cricket in Nigeria. The NSC will continue to support the federation. “I urge the girls not to rest on their laurels after defeating New Zealand but use this as a springboard for greater achievements,” the former Ogun State sports commissioner emphasized.

Olopade also expressed his confidence in the team’s potential to achieve even greater success, saying: “I am very confident that our girls can go all the way and surprise the entire cricket world after their display against New Zealand. Once again, congratulations to the team.”

The historic victory puts the Nigerians at the top of the ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup 2025 Group C standings.

By Richard Jideaka, Abuja