Building on their historic victory over New Zealand on Monday, Nigeria’s Junior Female Yellow Greens will look to finish the group stage of the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup with style as they face South Africa in their final group game today.
While the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia has proven that Nigeria is no longer seen as an underdog, this clash against South Africa in the final Group C match at the Borneo Cricket Ground in Sarawak remains an unequal contest. Both teams, occupying the top two spots in Group C, will face off at 7:30 am Nigerian time to decide who claims the top spot in the group.
The Junior Yellow Greens made a strong statement in the tournament with a dramatic two-run win over New Zealand, following a washed-out opening game against Samoa. South Africa, on the other hand, enters this match after impressive victories over Samoa and New Zealand in their first two outings.
This will be the first time these two nations meet in women’s cricket on the global stage, though they previously faced each other at the 13th African Games in Ghana in March 2024, with South Africa fielding an ‘emerging’ squad for the competition. Notably, both teams feature several players from that tournament. Of South Africa’s 15-player squad for the 2025 World Cup, seven had participated in the 2023 edition, which they hosted and reached the Super 6 stage. Nigeria’s squad in Malaysia also includes eight players who took part in the Ghana Games, meaning both sides are well-acquainted with each other’s style of play.
South Africa’s Seshnie Naidu, who took 4/13, and all-rounder Kayla Reyneke, who claimed 3/12, had a strong impact in their win over Nigeria at the African Games, where the West Africans were bowled out for 74. Despite a valiant effort from Nigeria’s pace bowler Lilian Ude, who took 5/18, South Africa triumphed by four wickets.
Naidu and wicketkeeper Karabo Meso bring senior team experience to the U-19 squad in Malaysia, as they are the only two capped players in the line-up. Captain Reyneke leads the team in wickets with four, closely followed by Nthabiseng Nini, who took 3/4 against Samoa on Monday.
However, Nigeria has also shown formidable skill with the ball. Ude, who was the best bowler at the African Games with eight wickets, played a crucial role in Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup in Rwanda. She kept her composure while bowling the final over in their win against New Zealand.
All-rounder captain Lucky Piety, widely regarded as the face of women’s grassroots cricket development in Nigeria, was named Player of the Match in Nigeria’s World Cup debut against New Zealand, hitting the country’s first six and contributing with the ball.
Another standout player to watch is 15-year-old Peace Usen. Known as the “new kid on the block,” her spin bowling has the potential to unsettle any batter.
