Coaches of six African nations express confidence ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C in Abuja.
Coaches of Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, The Gambia, Mozambique and Lesotho have declared their determination to secure qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as the Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C begins in Abuja.
At a pre-tournament press conference, the six coaches expressed confidence in their teams’ chances, with only two places available at next year’s Africa finals.
Nigeria head coach Steve Mangongo said the hosts were determined to use home advantage to advance their World Cup ambitions.
“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 completed its preparations and was ready to compete against the five other nations.
“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, who featured at the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, are also seeking a return to the global competition after missing out on the previous qualifying opportunity.
The team’s media manager, Innocent Noawula, said the Cricket Cranes were determined to learn from past mistakes and revive their World Cup ambitions.
He cautioned against underestimating Lesotho, Zambia and The Gambia, saying the teams could produce surprises during the competition.
Zambia head coach Isaac Mwaba described the qualifier as a challenging but valuable opportunity for his team, which is returning to ICC competition after an eight-year absence.
Mwaba expressed confidence in his players despite the challenge of facing more established cricketing nations.
The Gambia head coach David Prince Johnson acknowledged that limited training opportunities and a lack of indoor facilities had affected his team’s preparations during the rainy season.
However, Johnson said the difficulties would not serve as an excuse, promising that his players would compete with determination.
Mozambique head coach Thomas Pecane said his team had focused on improving its batting, bowling and fielding, adding that better preparations had strengthened its prospects.
Despite acknowledging Mozambique’s relatively low ranking, Pecane expressed confidence that his side could cause upsets and improve its standing.
Lesotho head coach Alex Mavhibe also targeted a top-two finish despite limited cricket infrastructure and the team’s reliance on concrete wickets for training.
Mavhibe said preparations in neighbouring South Africa had exposed his players to different playing surfaces, adding that the team was ready to compete while gaining valuable experience.
The six-nation tournament begins on Tuesday, October 20, in Abuja, with Nigeria seeking to convert home advantage into qualification for the Africa finals.
With two places at stake, the teams face a competitive campaign in their bid to advance along the pathway to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
By News Scope Africa
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