Nigeria’s Female YellowGreens fought bravely but lost by 11 runs to hosts Rwanda Women at the Kwibuka T20 Tournament 2026.
The match was played at the Gahanga Cricket Oval in Kigali, where Nigeria showed resilience in spite of the defeat.
Esther Sandy and Christabel Chukwuonye produced standout performances, giving Nigeria positives ahead of their next fixture.
Nigeria won the toss and elected to field, but Rwanda posted 131 for eight in 20 overs. The Nigerian bowlers kept the hosts under pressure throughout the innings with disciplined bowling displays.
Chukwuonye was the leading performer, claiming four wickets for 18 runs in an outstanding spell. Her bowling unsettled Rwanda’s batting order and prevented the hosts from building a bigger total.
Captain Favour Eseigbe also impressed, taking two wickets, while Lilian Ude claimed one wicket. Ude finished her four-over spell with economical figures of one wicket for 13 runs.
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Chasing 132, Nigeria began strongly through opener Sandy, who scored 63 runs from 53 balls. Sandy smashed nine boundaries and kept Nigeria’s hopes alive with a composed batting display.
Her performance further underlined her importance to the team throughout the tournament. Chukwuonye completed an impressive all-round showing by contributing 15 runs during the chase. Her partnership-building effort helped Nigeria remain competitive until the closing stages of the innings.
However, Rwanda’s bowlers held their composure and defended their total successfully. Murekatete Belyse led the hosts’ attack with three wickets for 21 runs. Nigeria eventually ended on 120 for nine in 20 overs, falling 11 runs short.
In spite of the loss, the team showed determination and quality against the tournament hosts. The result leaves Nigeria fourth on the standings after the league phase. The YellowGreens will now face Brazil in the third-place playoff at the tournament.
It will be the third meeting between both teams in this year’s competition. Nigeria will aim to finish its Kwibuka 2026 campaign with a victory.
NAN
