Until recently, it would have been unimaginable for Nigeria to defeat Kenya in men's cricket.
Thanks to leadership disputes in Cricket Kenya (CK) over the past decade, the football-mad West African nation today claimed victory over five-time International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup runner-up Kenya. You can dream. He has four One Day Internationals (ODIs) – 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011 and one of his T20s (2007).
Nigeria, nicknamed the 'Yellow Greens', have never played in an ICC World Cup.
In a game-changer for the Nigerian cricket world, on October 24, 2022, the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) appointed Kenyan cricket legend Steve Tikolo as the senior team coach and high-performance coach of the men's national cricket team. The decision was made to appoint him as manager.
In history, Nigeria has only defeated Kenya once in a men's cricket contest. It was a four-point victory in the DSL format in the Uganda Tri-Nation Series tournament held at Entebbe Cricket Oval on September 16, 2021.
Under Tikolo, one of the finest cricketers Kenya has ever produced, the 'Yellow Greens' came close to clinching their second victory against the fallen giants on November 23 last year. .
In the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier match held at the United Ground in Windhoek, Namibia, Nigeria were on the brink of a historic victory, but Kenya's stand-in captain Lucas Ndandason made it two minutes from the end. He led Nigeria by scoring four goals. Giants won by 4 wickets.
Kenya Cricket Legends leads former teammates David Assisi and Josfat Ababu in training at the Sikh Union Ground ahead of the Kenya Legends T20 match on Sunday, January 3, 2023 , Steve Ticolo (left).
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Batting after losing the toss, Nigeria set a target of 121 runs for the loss of seven wickets in an innings of 20 overs. Kenya lost 6 wickets in 19.5 innings and scored 124 runs.
In the same tournament, Tanzania were not so lucky as they lost to Tikolo's charge by three wickets. Although Nigeria lost to Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda in the same tournament, they impressed with their improved play.
The Yellow Greens, who have made significant progress under former Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania national team manager Tikolo, are on track to renew the former Kenyan international's two-year contract before it expires in October.
Contract negotiations are scheduled for mid-year and Tikolo is open to continuing in his role in Nigeria. The former Kenya and Swami Bapa Cricket Club captain has big dreams for Nigeria.
Red team captain Steve Tikolo defeats Green by six wickets in the Kenya Legends T-20 celebratory match played at Sikh Union Ground in Nairobi on January 7, 2024, retired fellow international He led the group in a celebration.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
“I just want to see them (Nigeria) play good cricket,” said the 52-year-old coach, who played for Kenya in the 1996, 1999 and 2003 ICC World Cups. Nation Sports.
“For every sportsperson, the ultimate goal is always to play in the World Cup. If Nigeria can qualify for the World Cup, it will be a big achievement for me. The other (goal with Nigeria) is , let them play Test cricket,” added the father-of-three, who remains Kenya's top scorer in One-Day Internationals with 3,428 runs.
The unwavering support we have received from the NCF and dedication to the training of our players has been pivotal in the steady development of cricket in Nigeria.
As an accomplished coach, Tikolo also oversees the development of Nigeria's senior women's team and junior national men's and women's teams, each with the help of their own trainers.
“Nigerians want their cricket to be on the world map and everyone is working towards that. The players are eager to learn and work hard. That’s what drives me. I get help from the board and other coaches,” says the ICC Level III coaching license holder.
Players of the Nigeria men's national cricket team celebrate with the trophy after winning the four-team West African tournament on October 15, 2023.
Photo credit: pool
In a first step towards changing Africa's populous nation's fortunes on the cricket pitch, the former right-handed batsman changed the team's training program, which he “felt was inconsistent”.
Working with a team of 24 players, 16 of whom are tied to contracts with NCF, the coach said they have intense training sessions four times a week.
On weekends, national team players either compete against each other or play for their respective clubs in the domestic league.
The Lagos Cricket League is Nigeria's main regional cricket competition, although each state has its own league, which is not very competitive.
“We don't want a scenario where we gather teams right before a tournament and practice for several days, so we have changed our training style and player techniques,” he said, adding: At international level, players need to undergo continuous training. ”
From left: Cricket legends Josfat Abobu, Josfat Irungu, David Assisi, Steve Tikolo and Nehemiah Odhiambo. A tour of the Sikh Union ground on January 3, 2023 ahead of the Kenya Legends T20 match on Sunday.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
According to the former Kenyan national team player, assistant coaches, fitness trainers and physiotherapists also take part in the training sessions, and each strives to give 100 percent to their respective roles.
For match training, coaches followed the national team program, while also developing individual training programs for each player based on their role within the team.
“What you are seeing (Nigeria's improved performance) is the culmination of their (players') hard work throughout the year. Once you put the structure in place, things just fall into place.” says Ticolo.
“If you are a batsman, you have your own program of what to do based on your strengths and weaknesses. Same goes for bowlers. When it comes to fielding, we do it as one group,” he said. explains.
Power hitting, increasing the number of runs in the power play, bowling yorkers and slow balls are some of the areas the experienced tactician continues to work on with his players with the aim of improving the team's fortunes. He said that. The coach also ensures that the players are always in the right state of mind.
“The mental aspect is also very important, so we keep talking to them, encouraging them and explaining what an honor it is to play for your country. The most important thing for me is the positive “You have to think. If you train well, you can go out on the field with confidence,” he says.
In October 2022, they placed 2nd place behind Tanzania in the sub-regional qualifier “B” held in Rwanda, earning them the right to participate in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, and in October last year, a four-team West African Won the trophy with all wins. The experienced coach said his 10-game record was some of his other major achievements as Nigeria national team manager.
Rwanda, Ghana and Sierra Leone also competed in the tournament and faced each other three times before the final.
“Nigeria is an emerging nation, so our performance in the two ICC tournaments and the West Africa Cup was satisfactory. This shows that we can compete with teams like Uganda, Kenya and Namibia,” said the coach. says.
To accelerate the rise of cricket in Nigeria, Tikolo told the NFC to hire data analysts “to provide real-time information and discuss objections based on feedback received from data analysts.” He said he proposed hiring a
