Nigeria’s Junior YellowGreens boosted their chances of returning to Division One after defeating hosts Rwanda by seven wickets in Kigali.

The ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup pathway qualifier was played at the Gahanga Main Oval, where Nigeria’s bowlers produced a dominant display to dismiss Rwanda for 79 runs in 23.1 overs.

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Nigeria then completed the chase, reaching 84 for three in 15.2 overs to secure a comfortable victory with more than 34 overs to spare.

Emmanuel Oladejo led Nigeria’s bowling attack with figures of 3/9 from five overs, including two maiden overs.

Abdullahi Ismail also claimed three wickets for 19 runs in seven overs, while Keneth Boniface returned 3/22 from six overs, including two maiden overs.

Rwanda struggled to build partnerships as Nigeria’s bowlers maintained pressure and picked up regular wickets throughout the innings.

Nigeria captain Ali Rahmon praised the bowling performance but admitted there was room for improvement.

“We did a very good job restricting them to 80 runs all out, but I feel we should have done a bit better.

“We bowled a lot of extras in the first 10 overs. Maybe 60 or 50 runs would have been good,” he said.

Chasing 80 for victory, Nigeria made a strong start through Rahmon and Hossana Omonkhobhio, who shared 46 runs for the opening wicket.

Rahmon scored 24 off 38 balls, including three boundaries, while Omonkhobhio contributed 18 from 19 deliveries, with three fours and a six.

After Omonkhobhio was dismissed in the ninth over, Nigeria maintained control despite losing two more wickets.

Peculiar Egemasi remained unbeaten on 19 off 20 balls, while Boniface completed an impressive all-round performance with an unbeaten seven from five deliveries, including a six.

Boniface’s late boundary sealed Nigeria’s victory and earned him the Player of the Match award after his three-wicket haul.

Reflecting on the win, Boniface emphasised the importance of teamwork and communication.

“If they are down, mostly the pressure will be up, so talk to them.

“Whether we miss or any bad thing, we have to talk to them and encourage them. That’s the main thing,” he said.

After three matches, Nigeria sit third on the standings with four points and a healthy net run rate of 1.531.

The Junior YellowGreens will face Mozambique U-19 and Sierra Leone U-19 in their remaining matches as they continue their push to return to Division One.

The victory over Rwanda gives Nigeria valuable momentum as the qualification race enters its decisive stage.