Nigeria’s women’s cricket side will head to the 2026 Kwibuka Tournament with the boost of having captain Favour Eseigbe back in the fold after a lengthy spell away from international action.
Eseigbe, who has not featured for the Female Yellow Greens in almost a year, was included in the 14-player travelling party unveiled by head coach Theophilus Ibodeme for the event scheduled for June 10–20 in Kigali, Rwanda.
The skipper took over the leadership role from former captain Blessing Etim in 2024 but missed recent international assignments after falling out of selection contention while also focusing on her education. Her last appearance in national colours came during the previous edition of the Kwibuka competition.
The returning captain will spearhead a squad that includes established names such as Lilian Ude, Salome Sunday, Christabel Chukwuonye and Esther Sandy.
Sarah Etim has been entrusted with the role of assistant captain, while Omosigho Eguakun, Shola Adekunle, Henrietta Mbam, Jessica Bieni, Deborah Bassey, Oseyende Omonkhobhio, Favour Effiong and Rachael Samson also secured places on the roster.
Missing from the group is Lucky Piety, who wore the captain’s armband and inspired Nigeria to lift the Patricia Kambarami Cup on home soil earlier this year.
Selection for the tournament followed an intensive screening exercise involving 24 players at the Nigeria Cricket Federation’s High Performance Centre in Benin City, Edo State.
The hopefuls were put through a series of assessment games and training sessions, allowing the technical crew to evaluate individual performances, physical condition and team balance before making the final cuts.
The squad has continued its build-up in Benin City, choosing to complete preparations there as attention turns to the challenge awaiting them in Rwanda.
At the competition, Nigeria will come up against Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Brazil and Malawi in the preliminary stage.
The Female Yellow Greens begin their campaign with a fixture against Malawi on June 10.
After steering the team to silverware at the Patricia Kambarami Cup earlier in the year, Ibodeme will be eager to see his players deliver another impressive showing on the continental stage.
