NIGERIA’S director of Coaching head Steve Mangongo said the Yellow Greens have completed their preparations and need only composure and execution ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier C in Abuja.
Asked what the team needed to get right in the 48 hours before the first ball, the Zimbabwean said:
“Calm before the storm. That’s all we need. We’ve done all the training. We are ready to go.”
The qualifier, which closes the African sub-regional stage of qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028, runs from October 20-27. Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, The Gambia, Uganda and Zambia will play 15 matches at the NCF Oval 1 and NCF Oval 2 grounds. The six teams meet in a single round-robin, and the top two advance to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final in 2027.
Mangongo acknowledged that a qualifier differs from a regular series. He said Nigeria’s preparation for the opening game has centred on carrying training into match conditions.
“It’s about being able to execute your skills as per the way you have trained,” he said.
“And if you’ve put enough hard work, you’ll be confident to go and execute on the day. So it’s about execution.”
The tournament is Mangongo’s first major assignment since the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) appointed him Head Coach and High Performance Manager on a three-year contract that took effect on July 1. He replaced Kenyan Steve Tikolo, who held the role from October 2022 to January 2026.
Mangongo has almost 30 years of coaching experience. He has worked with Zimbabwe’s Under-15 and Under-19 teams, the Zimbabwe ‘A’ side and the senior men’s national team, and he previously ran Zimbabwe Cricket’s High Performance Programme. He won the ICC Intercontinental Trophy with Zimbabwe ‘A’ in 2008.
At his unveiling, Mangongo said his target is to take Nigeria to a World Cup by 2028.
Nigeria open their campaign on Tuesday. Their final group match is against Uganda on 25 October at NCF Oval 1.
