Leke Oyede, the head coach of the Female Yellow Greens, has announced that the team will kick off their closed-camping sessions in the initial days of May in preparation for the 2024 Kwibuka cricket tournament in Rwanda, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.
The tournament, which will take place from May 27 to June 8 at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium in Kigali, has confirmed the participation of Nigeria, alongside hosts Rwanda and six other countries in its tenth edition.
After securing a bronze medal at the 2023 African Games in Ghana last month, the team is gearing up for their first appearance since then. Oyede mentioned that the players are currently following individual training regimes and will fully engage in training sessions for the upcoming tournament once May arrives.
According to Oyede’s statement to PUNCH Sports Extra, “Our plan is to start training in the early days of May. They are currently training independently based on the prescribed plans, a routine we usually follow post each tournament. We always assess them before they regroup for the next event.”
By expanding to eight confirmed teams this year, the tournament has moved away from its traditional four-nation format, with hopes for additional confirmations from Tanzania, Namibia, USA, and Japan. Oyede sees this expansion as an opportunity to enhance player exposure.
With the addition of more teams, Oyede stated, “Having secured eight teams already, we are assured of increased exposure. It appears that there will be more countries joining, allowing us to challenge our players against unfamiliar opponents.”
Alongside Nigeria, other confirmed participants for the competition include Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, and Cameroon.
This year marks the Female Yellow Greens’ fifth appearance at the tournament, where they clinched the fourth position last year after a defeat to Kenya in the third-place playoff.
Following their remarkable performance at the African Games, where they surprised Namibia and Uganda to win the bronze in Ghana, the Nigerian team is expected to be a formidable contender in Rwanda come May, making other African nations wary of their capabilities.
In the previous edition, Rwanda pulled off a stunning victory with a six-wicket win over Uganda in the final, claiming their first title in nine years. This victory marked Rwanda’s inaugural triumph over Uganda and their first-ever win in the Kwibuka tournament, an annual event commemorating the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda.