Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, will launch their bid to retain the West Africa Trophy when they face Zambia in the opening match of the 2025 edition on Thursday, December 4, in Abuja.
The Nigeria Cricket Federation confirmed Abuja as host city for the second staging of the regional event, following a successful debut edition in Lagos in 2023 where the Yellow Greens swept through the tournament unbeaten and edged Rwanda by 18 runs in a tense final.
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This year’s lineup features Rwanda and Sierra Leone returning for another shot at the title, while Zambia enters the fray as the only newcomer, replacing Ghana from the inaugural campaign.
After the opening clash, Nigeria will play Sierra Leone on Friday, December 5, before renewing their growing rivalry with Rwanda on Saturday, December 6.
The four teams will battle in a triple round-robin format, ensuring a demanding schedule in which each nation faces one another three times. The top two sides will advance to a grand final to decide the new champion.
With home advantage and a rising profile in African cricket, the Yellow Greens enter the competition as favourites—but the path to another trophy will require navigating a stronger, more experienced field hungry to dethrone the defending champions.
