By Sharon Ekhiwere
Head Coach and High Performance Manager of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Steven Mangongo, has expressed confidence in Nigeria’s Under-19 women’s team ahead of the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup Division One Qualifiers in Tanzania.
Mangongo made this known on Monday during an official visit to the Edo State High Performance Centre for Cricket at Edo Boys High School, Adolor College Road, Benin City.
The Zimbabwean coach, whose visit is expected to last for at least five days, was received by members of the Edo State Cricket Association board, led by the Vice Chairman, Barrister Abraham Oviawe, coaches, players and other stakeholders. During the visit, he inspected the cricket facilities and later joined the players, especially the Nigeria Under-19 women’s team, in a batting training session.
Speaking after the training, Mangongo said he was impressed with what he saw in Edo State.
“I’m happy to be in Edo State. I saw first-hand the excitement, the quality of the facilities and the natural enthusiasm of the players. That is what makes me so excited,” he said.
He praised the cricket development structure already in place in Edo State and said the Nigeria Cricket Federation would continue to support it with modern coaching methods.
“Edo State already has a functional development process in place. Our role is to build on that by motivating the players and introducing modern coaching methodologies. When players see a national coach visiting their environment, it gives them confidence and motivation. We want the good work being done in Edo State to be replicated across other states in Nigeria,” Mangongo added.
Looking ahead to the qualifiers in Tanzania, the High Performance Manager said he believes the Nigerian girls have what it takes to qualify for the World Cup.
“We are taking our Nigeria Under-19 girls’ team to Tanzania, and I am very confident they will get the job done. I worked with about half of this squad last year, so we have a good mix of experience. Our focus now is on tactical awareness, game management and helping the players execute the game plan effectively,” he said.
Mangongo also spoke about Nigeria missing automatic qualification for the ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup despite an impressive performance at the last edition, where the team defeated New Zealand.
He explained that although the team hoped to qualify automatically, the ICC’s qualification system requires Nigeria to go through the qualifying tournament again.
“We see this as an opportunity rather than a setback. It gives us another chance to prove that our performance at the last World Cup was no fluke. Going through the qualifiers also means the girls will play more competitive cricket before the World Cup itself, which will help them become an even stronger team,” he said.
The experienced coach also shared his thoughts on the future of cricket in Nigeria, saying the country has great potential to become one of the world’s leading cricket nations.
“Before coming to Nigeria, I had an idea of what cricket here looked like. Now that I’ve seen things first-hand, I believe Nigerian cricket is a time bomb waiting to explode on the world stage,” Mangongo said.
He noted that Nigeria’s large population gives the country a strong advantage in discovering talented players.
“With the leadership of Dr. Uyi Akpata and the Nigeria Cricket Federation, cricket is being introduced to children across the country’s geopolitical zones. There is a clear development pathway from state high-performance programmes to Under-17 and Under-19 cricket, as well as holiday camps. If we continue to develop players through this system, the quality at the top level will be exceptional.”
Mangongo also commended the Nigeria Cricket Federation for its grassroots programmes, saying the federation is creating opportunities for young boys and girls to grow in the sport.
He added that the federation’s recent recognition by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for organising cricket festivals shows that Nigeria is moving in the right direction.
“When the ICC recognises the work Nigeria is doing, it is only a matter of time before Nigerian cricket earns its place among the world’s leading cricket nations,” he concluded.
Mangongo’s visit to Edo State is expected to continue over the next three days, with more training sessions, facility inspections and engagements with coaches, players and cricket stakeholders planned as part of efforts to strengthen cricket development in the state.