The Nigeria Cricket Federation has officially unveiled Zimbabwean tactician Stephen Mangongo as the new head coach and high performance manager of the national team, setting a target of qualifying for the ICC T20 World Cup by 2028, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Mangongo was unveiled at a landmark event held at the Cricket Lab, TBS Cricket Oval, Lagos, on Wednesday and signed a three-year deal with the NCF.
He replaces Kenyan coach Steve Tikolo, who left the role earlier this year after over three years in charge.
Speaking during the event, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, described the appointment as a major step in the federation’s long-term high-performance vision, noting that the Nigeria Super League and the broader grassroots development structure are central to the future of cricket in the country.
The NCF president also emphasised the federation’s investment in grassroots cricket, coaching development, player pathways, facilities and high-performance initiatives over the past several years, adding that the federation remains committed to building a sustainable cricket structure capable of competing globally.
“While 60 per cent of his role is high performance for the male and female teams, he will design a refined and smooth pipeline for our future stars. We already have a system in place, and he acknowledged that,” Akpata said.
“He will meet all Nigerian coaches and identify those who will work with him, and he can also bring in technical experts occasionally, where there are high-performance camps, but he has to work with Nigerian coaches permanently.”
Mangongo arrives with a wealth of international experience, having coached Zimbabwe U-19, Zimbabwe A and the Zimbabwe senior national team. One of the defining moments of his coaching career came in 2014 when he guided Zimbabwe to a historic victory over Australia in a tri-series competition.
He has also participated in multiple ICC global events, served as assistant coach in several ICC senior tournaments and played a significant role in the development of prominent Zimbabwean cricketers, including Hamilton Masakadza and Tatenda Taibu.
The Zimbabwean identified qualification for future ICC World Cups as one of the key targets during his tenure, while emphasising the importance of consistent player development, professionalism and hard work.
“The NCF are very ambitious. They want results, and they want the age-grade teams to produce future stars, and those are key areas where I want to be measured. We want to get Nigeria to the World Cup. I am under no illusion, and I believe it is achievable. If you don’t have ambition, there is no point,” the coach said when asked about the 2028 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in October.
“As an African, I feel proud that we have a country that wants to take the game of cricket to the next level. I would like to be remembered as a person who helped the transition of cricket in Nigeria from being just one of the sports to a professional sport, and that Nigeria gets recognition as one of the best cricketing teams in Africa.”
The new head coach also commended the Nigeria Cricket Federation for creating opportunities through the Nigeria Super League and various developmental programmes, noting that many young cricketers across the world do not have access to the facilities and structures currently available in Nigeria.
Mangongo will begin the 2028 World Cup journey with the Yellow Greens when Nigeria hosts the Africa Sub-Regional C Qualifiers in October, where the country will face Gambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia.
The six countries will compete for the top two spots, with the successful teams advancing to the regional final next year.
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