6 Nations Chase 2 Africa Finals Tickets In Abuja T20 World Cup Qualifier

Coaches of Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia have declared their determination to secure qualification for the next stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C begins in Abuja on Tuesday.

The coaches, alongside their counterparts from The Gambia, Mozambique and Lesotho, expressed confidence in their teams’ chances at a pre-tournament press conference, with the six countries competing for two places at next year’s Africa finals.

Nigeria head coach Steve Mangongo said the hosts were determined to make the most of the opportunity to advance in the qualifying series, describing the tournament as a serious contest in the pathway to the World Cup.

“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 done the necessary preparations and would be looking to deliver on home soil.

“We are the hosts, and others are very good at hosting. We want to take that into the cricket pitch too. We have done all we can and will bring our A-game to the tournament,” he said.

Uganda, which participated in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, is 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 their past mistakes and revive their World Cup ambitions.

He recalled Uganda’s appearance at the 2024 World Cup and said the team hoped to build on that experience to secure another opportunity to compete at the highest level.

“The mission is simple for the Cricket Cranes. They have been to the World Cup before, and they are hoping they can right those wrongs and go on to achieve their dream again,” Noawula said.

He also warned against underestimating Lesotho, Zambia and The Gambia, describing them as teams capable of causing upsets during the competition.

Zambia head coach Isaac Mwaba said his players were prepared for a difficult tournament as the country returned to ICC competition after an eight-year absence.

“It is going to be a very competitive tournament. It will not be easy for us, but we are up to the task,” Mwaba said.

He described Zambia’s return to international competition as an emotional moment and expressed hope that the team would make a strong impression in Abuja.

Meanwhile, The Gambia head coach David Prince Johnson acknowledged that inadequate training opportunities had affected his team’s preparations, particularly during the country’s rainy season.

Johnson said the lack of indoor facilities had limited the team’s ability to train consistently but insisted that the challenge would not prevent his players from competing.

“We have not been having enough training because of the course of our rainy season in The Gambia. We also do not have facilities such as indoor training centres, and that affects us a lot,” he said.

“Nonetheless, it is not an excuse. We are here to contest, and we will compete to the maximum.”

Mozambique head coach Thomas Pecane said his team would concentrate on improving its batting, bowling and fielding as it seeks to progress beyond the sub-regional stage.

Pecane acknowledged that Mozambique were relatively low in the rankings but said the tournament offered an opportunity to improve their standing and gain valuable experience.

“Our main objective is to improve with every outing. We want to improve on last year, and we have had better preparations this time around,” he said.

He expressed confidence that Mozambique could spring surprises, adding that the team would approach the competition one match at a time.

Lesotho head coach Alex Mavhibe also said his team was ready to compete despite facing challenges similar to those experienced by The Gambia.

Mavhibe said the country lacked adequate cricket infrastructure, with players relying mainly on concrete wickets for training.

He added that preparations in neighbouring South Africa had provided some exposure to alternative playing surfaces.

“We are here to learn as well as compete. We want to finish in the top two, but we will take each game as it comes,” he said.

The six-nation tournament begins on Tuesday, 20 October, in Abuja, with Nigeria seeking to capitalise on home advantage against five challengers.

The top two teams will advance to the Africa finals scheduled for next year, where they will continue the race for a place in the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.