Nigeria’s men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, will begin the defence of their West Africa Trophy title on Thursday when they meet Zambia in the opening match of the 2025 edition in Abuja.

The hosts won the maiden tournament without losing a single game, finishing with an 18-run triumph over Rwanda in a gripping final at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos in October 2023. Sierra Leone and Ghana also featured in that debut competition.

Rwanda and Sierra Leone are back in the mix this year and will play each other in the second match of the opening day.

Nigeria go into the regional contest looking to restore momentum after missing out on qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The squad is coached by former Kenyan international Steve Tikolo, who will be hoping the home support helps spark a winning run ahead of the coming year.

Wicketkeeper Sulaimon Runsewe has been handed the captaincy for the tournament, which runs until 14 December. He will be joined by key names such as Selim Salau, Ali Rahmon, Daniel Ajekun and Danladi Isaac.

Also included are the Okpe brothers, Sylvester and Isaac, whose international experience is expected to give the side balance in both the batting and bowling units.

The squad also features Vincent Adewoye, Kenneth Boniface, Prosper Useni, Ukasha Ishaku, Elochukwu Ndubudem, Joshua Asia and Abdullahi Ismail, combining promising talent with valuable experience.

Zambia have replaced Ghana in this edition and are preparing for their first official T20 International outing after regaining ICC membership.

Their squad is led by captain Javid Patel, alongside Jakir Patel, Lawrence Mutale, Mohammed Asim, Musonda Yambayamba, Shahnawaz Patel, Zoyeb Chand and wicketkeeper Benson Chama. Others in the squad are Mohammad Bhaidu, Abbasbhai Patel, Aslam Bera, Ayaz Dadabhai, Salman Patel and Soyeb Pendi.

After their opening match against Zambia, the Yellow Greens will face Sierra Leone on Friday, 5 December, before rounding off their first round of fixtures against Rwanda the following day.

All four teams will play each other three times in a round-robin format, with the top two advancing to the final.

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