Four former students of Benin Technical College, Christabel Chukwuonye, Omosigho Eguakun, Peace Usen and Beauty Oguai, have helped Nigeria’s Junior Female Yellow Greens secure a place at the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup after a thrilling four-run victory over Zimbabwe in the final of the Africa Division 1 Qualifier in Tanzania on Saturday.
The quartet played significant roles in Nigeria’s unbeaten campaign, contributing with the bat, ball and in the field as the Junior Female Yellow Greens emerged champions of the African qualifier and secured their ticket to the global tournament.
Nigeria, sent in to bat in the final, posted 98 for six in 20 overs.
Christabel, who captained the side throughout the competition, scored 21 runs off 19 balls, including three boundaries, while Beauty contributed 19 runs from 35 balls.
Deborah Bassey added a late attacking push with an unbeaten 10 off just four balls as Nigeria set Zimbabwe a target of 99.
Zimbabwe came close to snatching the title during the chase, reaching 90 with two overs remaining and needing only nine runs from 12 balls.
Nigeria, however, held its nerve when it mattered most, taking the final four wickets to bowl Zimbabwe out for 94 in 19.5 overs and complete the dramatic four-run victory.
Peace Usen was instrumental in the decisive bowling effort, finishing with three wickets for 19 runs in four overs.
She also contributed in the field, taking catches off Christabel’s bowling.
Jennifer Godwin claimed two wickets for 11 runs, Anointed Akhigbe took two for 15, while Shola Adekunle added one wicket for 15 runs.
While Omosigho Eguakun scored only four runs in the final, the former Benin Technical College student had already established herself as one of the outstanding batters of the competition.
Omosigho finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 139 runs in five innings, including a highest score of 50, and was named Best Batter of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 Africa Qualifier.
She also earned the Player of the Match award after scoring a half-century against hosts Tanzania in Nigeria’s final Group A game.
Her consistency throughout the competition provided a major boost to Nigeria’s campaign and helped the team maintain its unbeaten record.
Christabel also produced a standout individual performance in the semi-final against Rwanda on Thursday.
The former Benin Technical College student claimed four wickets for just six runs in 3.1 overs to earn the Player of the Match award as Nigeria defeated Rwanda by nine wickets.
She conceded 21 runs in her four-over spell in the final as captain of the side.
Nigeria had earlier defeated Uganda and Malawi in the group stage before recording a convincing 57-run victory over hosts Tanzania to finish top of Group A.
The Junior Female Yellow Greens then dispatched Rwanda in the semi-final before overcoming Zimbabwe in the tense final.
The achievement marks another significant milestone for Benin Technical College, with four of its former students featuring in the Nigerian squad that secured the country’s place at the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The performances of Christabel, Omosigho, Peace and Beauty have placed the institution in the spotlight, with Omosigho’s Best Batter award providing the biggest individual recognition among the school’s products.
Omosigho’s 139-run haul, Christabel’s leadership and match-winning bowling display, Peace’s crucial wickets and Beauty’s contribution with the bat combined to make the former students important members of Nigeria’s successful campaign.
Nigeria’s qualification means the Junior Female Yellow Greens will now represent Africa at the 2027 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.
For the four Benin Technical College products, the triumph offers an opportunity to take their performances from the African stage to the world stage as Nigeria prepares for the global competition.
