Nigeria to Host ICC T20 Qualifiers Again

For the second consecutive time, Nigeria will host the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional C Qualifiers.

The tournament is scheduled to hold from October 18 to 25, according to a recent statement released by the ICC.

Nigeria previously hosted the Sub-Regional C Qualifiers in Abuja back in 2024. During that tournament, the national cricket team, known as the Yellow Greens, successfully won the title with a game to spare.

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However, their campaign eventually fell short as they were unable to secure a spot for the 2026 T20 World Cup during the regional finals.

In this year’s edition of the Sub-Regional C Qualifiers, Nigeria will face off against Gambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia.

The six participating nations will battle in a bid to secure the top two spots in the group. The successful teams will automatically advance to the regional final tournament scheduled for next year.

Ultimately, the overarching ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in 2027 will grant two teams direct qualification tickets to represent the continent at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

The qualifying process across the continent is already well underway. The Sub-Regional Qualifier B was successfully concluded in Ghana in March, seeing both Tanzania and Ghana clinch first and second place respectively, thereby securing their places in the 2027 regional final.

Furthermore, Namibia has already secured an automatic spot in the regional final due to their participation in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

In related developments, Botswana is also preparing to host the Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier A, marking the country’s first ICC Men’s event since 2018. Slated to run from May 23 to 30 at the BCA Oval in Gaborone, the tournament will feature a 21-game single round-robin format.

Botswana will compete against Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone, with the top two teams also advancing to the crucial 2027 regional final.