Sierra Leone U-19 Men’s Cricket Team Defeat Nigeria to Qualify For Men’s Division Final

The Sierra Leone Under-19 Men’s Cricket Team breezed into the finals of the ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup Africa Division after defeating Nigeria by nine wickets on Friday in Dar es Salaam.

As a result of this win, Sierra Leone has secured a direct spot in the 2025 ICC Men’s U-19 World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier, which serves as a pathway to the Sri Lanka 2026 tournament.

During the match, Sierra Leone won the toss and chose to bowl. Nigeria batted first and scored 116 runs, resulting in all their players being out in 31.3 overs, setting a target of 117 runs for Sierra Leone to chase.

Sierra Leone’s Junior Men’s Patriots successfully achieved the target in under two hours, with captain Raymond Coker and Alusine Turay leading the charge, contributing to a total score of 119 runs for the loss of only one wicket in 19 overs. This secured a nine-wicket victory for Sierra Leone.

Throughout the tournament, Sierra Leone has showcased their prowess by defeating four well-funded teams with their strong fielding performance. In all of their victories, they won by taking wickets.

Raymond Coker, the team’s captain, received the Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance. He took three wickets, bowled nine overs, delivered 39 dot balls, and secured two maidens, resulting in a bowling economy rate of 2.00. This award marks his third recognition during the tournament.

Looking ahead, Sierra Leone is expected to face host Tanzania in the finals to compete for the gold.