Ahead of the 2026 Nigeria Cricket Federation Women’s Invitational Tournament, 24 players are currently camping at the high-performance centre in Benin City, Edo State, battling to secure places in the country’s final squad for the championship, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
After a one-year break, the tournament returns for its fifth edition at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval, Lagos, from March 18 to 29.
The training camp consists of eight players seeking their first-ever appearance with the Female Yellow Greens, while the remaining 16 are regular players who have represented the team since at least 2022.
They will be vying for 14 spots in the travelling squad to Lagos.
For this year, the tournament has been expanded to a five-nation competition and will feature hosts Nigeria, alongside Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and South Africa U-19 Women, who will be making their first appearance in the competition.
Since its inception as a bilateral series between Nigeria and Rwanda, the tournament has grown significantly in global recognition, competitive quality, and developmental impact, reinforcing Nigeria’s position as a leading hub for women’s cricket in Africa.
Participating teams will arrive in Lagos on March 18, with matches commencing shortly after and running throughout the tournament window before concluding with the final fixtures and official departures on March 29, 2026.
Beyond the on-field action, the tournament will also feature youth cricket clinics and stakeholder engagement activities designed to strengthen grassroots participation and expand the commercial ecosystem of cricket in Nigeria.
The Female Yellow Greens won the tournament for the first time in 2023 before surrendering the title to Tanzania in 2024, while Rwanda last won it in 2022.
