Sports

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Hits Nigeria Tomorrow

Published

3 years ago

August 28, 2023

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria’s capital city Abuja is agog as the excitement continues to grow for the arrival of the ICC Men’s World Cup Trophy to the most populous nation in the continent of Africa

The trophy is expected to arrive in Abuja on Tuesday, August 29, where it will be received by the board of the Nigeria Cricket Federation before being handed to the newly appointed Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh.

Also on Wednesday, August 30, the trophy will be in Lagos and will be received by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and will also be on public display at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval, the game’s most revered ground in the country.

Nigeria Cricket Federation President NCF President, Uyi Akpata, said the second coming of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy to the country is a testament to the strides of Nigerian cricket in the last five years.

“Nigeria will be a major stop for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy that is presently on a tour of 18 countries globally, and that is major for us. Being the second successive time in Nigeria is a huge win for our developmental effort.

“I believe the back-to-back trophy tour of Nigeria, first in 2019 and now in 2023, shows how Nigeria, as an emerging cricket development hotbed, is key for the continent. And this is an appreciation to those who have, and are still sacrificing to see the game attain an enviable height in the country,” Akpata said.

Nigeria has won four global developmental awards between 2019 and 2023, including qualifying for its first World Cup in 2019.

This year, Nigeria was named the winner of the 100 Percent Female Cricket Initiative of the Year Global Award. This was on the back of a successful girl-child campaign in Zamfara State which yielded over 20, 000 entrants in 2022.

Nigeria’s Women’s senior team, the Female Yellow Greens also won the NCF Women’s T20i Invitational Tournaments for the first time this year after hosting it for four years.

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Sports

Flamingos’ Historic World Cup Feat Draws Musawa’s Commendation

Published

12 hours ago

November 8, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to claim Nigeria’s first title in the competition and make history as the first African nation to win the tournament.

Awawu Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku extended the advantage two minutes after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a memorable victory.

In a congratulatory message was signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Sunday in Abuja, Musawa described the achievement as a defining moment for Nigeria and a significant milestone for African women’s football, attributing the success to the team’s resilience, talent and determination.

“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.

The Minister noted that the Flamingos had broken new ground by becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria also became the first African country to win both the men’s and women’s U-17 World Cup titles.

The team further achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first side in the competition’s history to lose its opening match and eventually emerge champions.

Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage encounter, the Flamingos recovered impressively, recording six consecutive victories to lift the trophy.

Musawa particularly praised Umejiaku, who claimed the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player, and Bashiru for their crucial contributions in the final.

She also commended the entire squad for their discipline, teamwork and determination throughout the competition.

According to her, the victory demonstrates the creativity, courage and excellence of Nigerian youths on the global stage.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the achievements and inspiring stories of young Nigerians who continue to bring honour to the country.

“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she added.

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