Nigeria’s Female Yellow Greens recorded their first victory of the 2026 Kwibuka T20 Tournament with an emphatic 52-run win over Malawi at the Gahanga 2 Cricket Oval in Kigali on Wednesday.
After being put in to bat by Malawi, Nigeria posted a competitive 98/8 in 20 overs, thanks to a composed unbeaten knock of 25 runs from Jessica Bieni.
Contributions from Sarah Etim (14), Favour Eseigbe (11) and Christabel Chukwuonye (11) helped the Female Yellow Greens recover from early setbacks and build a defendable total.
Malawi’s bowling attack was led by Lucky Malino, who claimed four wickets, but Nigeria’s lower-order resilience ensured they reached a challenging score.
In response, coach Theophilus Ibodeme’s side delivered a clinical bowling and fielding performance, dismissing Malawi for just 46 runs in 10.3 overs to seal a comprehensive victory.
Player of the Match Shola Adekunle spearheaded the attack with figures of three wickets for 15 runs, while Henrietta Mbam returned two wickets and conceded 16 runs.
Captain Favour Eseigbe, playing her first competitive match in about a year, also helped bring the contest to a swift conclusion, claiming two wickets in three deliveries and finishing with figures of 2/0.
Speaking after the match, Eseigbe praised her team’s resilience and fighting spirit despite falling short of their initial batting target.
“Our plan was to go out there and score above 120, but credit must go to the Malawi bowlers because they bowled really well and troubled our batters. However, we had a Plan B. We never give up until the game is over.
“Even when batting became difficult, we stayed patient, used our legs, rotated the strike and found ways to keep the scoreboard moving. Regardless of what total we ended up with, we were prepared to defend it.”
The victory provides an important boost as Nigeria continue their campaign in the tournament, with their next match against Brazil at the Gahanga A Oval on Thursday.
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