Cricket: Boniface powers Nigeria past Ghana in W’Cup qualifier

Nigeria's Junior Yellow Greens have revitalized their 2028 ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup campaign with a commanding five-wicket win against Ghana. This victory follows a narrow opening-day defeat to Uganda. The Nigerian team successfully chased down Ghana's modest total of 93 runs, completing the task with over 27 overs to spare at the Gahanga Oval.

Keneth Boniface was the standout performer, delivering a crucial all-round display. He led the bowling attack, claiming four wickets to help dismiss the Ghanaians for 93 in 35.5 overs. Boniface then anchored the chase, scoring 30 runs off 32 balls as Nigeria reached 96 for five wickets in just 22.2 overs. His performance earned him the player of the match award.

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I’m just trying to go on with the team plan. The team plan is just to play around and get what I need, so I have to just wait there, enjoy the game, less pressure. That’s all.

Boniface attributed his success to adhering to the team's strategy. "I’m just trying to go on with the team plan. The team plan is just to play around and get what I need, so I have to just wait there, enjoy the game, less pressure. That’s all," he said. Captain Ali Rahmon acknowledged the bowlers' strong performance in restricting Ghana but noted areas for improvement in the batting unit. "But I feel as a batting unit, we are not there yet because we lost too many wickets chasing 94 runs."

The Junior Yellow Greens will now face hosts Rwanda on Wednesday, followed by matches against Mozambique and Sierra Leone. These upcoming games are critical for their qualification aspirations.

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But I feel as a batting unit, we are not there yet because we lost too many wickets chasing 94 runs.