Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ended after a seven-wicket defeat to Kenya in their final group game at the African qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The Yellow Greens, who needed victory to progress to the semi-finals, posted 147-7 in their 20 overs, with Isaac Danladi top-scoring 53 from 47 balls. Sulaimon Runsewe (27) and captain Sylvester Okpe (26) also made useful contributions.
Kenya, however, chased down the target with ease, reaching 148-3 in just 13 overs. Sachin Bhudia struck 57 from 29 balls, while Rakep Patel added 53 off 38 to seal progression to the semi-finals.
The defeat means Nigeria now play Botswana in a classification tie, with the chance to fight for fifth place if they advance.
Elsewhere, hosts Zimbabwe will face Kenya in the semi-finals, while Namibia meet Tanzania. The two finalists will claim Africa’s tickets to the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
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