The International Cricket Council (ICC) has praised the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for improvements to cricket facilities in Abuja ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C.
Justine Ligyalingi, the ICC’s Africa regional manager, expressed satisfaction after inspecting the facilities on Monday, saying the improvements since an earlier inspection about four months ago had given the governing body confidence in Abuja’s readiness to host the tournament.
“We must say that there has been a lot of work that has gone into the facilities, and we believe that the Nigerian federation has done a good job,” Ligyalingi said.
He said the venues were in suitable condition for the six-team competition, while noting that further improvements would be needed as the NCF continues investing in cricket development.
The qualifier, scheduled for October 18 to 26, features Nigeria, Lesotho, Mozambique, The Gambia, Uganda and Zambia. Fifteen matches will be played at NCF Oval 1 and NCF Oval 2 in Abuja under a single round-robin format. The top two teams will advance to the 2027 Africa Regional Final, bringing them closer to qualification for the 2028 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya have already secured places at the regional final through the first two African sub-regional qualifying tournaments. The Abuja event will determine the final two teams from this stage.
For Nigeria, hosting the qualifier provides an opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to stage international cricket while competing for progression to the next round. The tournament also places the country’s cricket infrastructure and development efforts before visiting teams and international officials.
The ICC’s assessment recognises the NCF’s recent work, while Ligyalingi’s call for continued investment highlights the importance of maintaining and improving facilities to support the sport’s long-term growth in Nigeria.
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