Nigeria’s senior women’s cricket team, the Women’s Yellow Greens, have arrived Rwanda, ahead of the 11th edition of the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament, scheduled to run from June 3 to 14.
The team landed in Rwanda on Sunday, looking to build on their previous experience in a tournament.
Honouring History Through Sport
The Tournament is held annually in honour of the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, where over 800,000 people were killed in one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.
“Kwibuka” means “remember” in Kinyarwanda, and the tournament uses the platform of sport to promote peace, unity, and remembrance.
This year’s edition features nine teams, including Nigeria, host Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Brazil, among others.
All teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top sides advancing to the knockout stages.
Fixtures: Big Test Early Against Uganda
Nigeria will kick off their campaign on Tuesday, June 3, with an opener against reigning champions Uganda.
They will then face Brazil on Wednesday, June 4.
The full tournament fixture will see Nigeria face each of the other eight teams in the round-robin phase, with the best teams advancing to the semi-finals and final.
Nigeria’s Previous Performances
This is Nigeria’s sixth appearance at the tournament.
While they have yet to win the title, the Female Yellow Greens have made steady progress in recent years and are aiming to improve on their last showing.
The 2025 edition offers a crucial opportunity for the team to build on the success of their U-19 counterparts, integrate new talent into the senior setup and prepare for future ICC qualifying events.
Nigeria’s Squad: Youth and Experience Blend for Kigali Challenge
The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) unveiled a 14-player squad for the tournament on Saturday.
Leading the side is Favour Eseigbe, the captain of Edo State’s gold-winning team at the National Sports Festival.
Also returning to the squad is all-rounder Rukayat Abdulrasaq.
Two rising stars from Nigeria’s U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup team (Amusa Kehinde and Omosigho Eguakun) have been handed their senior team debuts, following their impressive performances earlier this year in Malaysia, where Nigeria finished sixth overall, making history as the first West African team to compete in the event.
Squad List – Female Yellow Greens
Favour Eseigbe (Captain)
Rukayat Abdulrasaq
Salome Sunday
Christabel Chukwuonye
Sarah Etim
Lilian Ude
Anointed Akhigbe
Racheal Samson
Adekunle Adeshola
Amusa Kehinde
Omosigho Eguakun
Esther Sandy
Abigail Igbobie
Usen Peace
