President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) Yahaya Ukwanya says the Bilateral Series scheduled between Nigeria and Rwanda is part of the federation’s 2019 programme aimed at preparing the female national team for the upcoming 2019 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers billed for Harare, Zimbabwe from 3rd to 13th May 2019.

Nigeria and Rwanda will play five matches comprising two (2) 40 overs and three (3) T-20’s at the Cricket Oval in Abuja between 23 and 30 January as part of a Bilateral Series which will see Nigeria visit Rwanda in June. The series organised in honour of victims of the 1994 genocide will also serve as preparations for the female national team and give them “a chance of doing well” in the African qualifiers for the Women World Cup according to Ukwanya.

“We have earmarked a calendar of events for 2019, we have started January with two camps one for U-19 which have just been concluded the other one is for the female national team preparing for a bilateral game against Rwanda,” he told busybuddiesng.com

“The other reason why the females are in this competition with Rwanda is that later in May they will be contesting the African Qualifiers for the female World Cup [and] they will be fighting for one of the slots because there will be only one qualifiers. There are many heavyweight countries ahead of us and we felt that for the girls who are very young, female cricket is very young in Nigeria so to give them a chance of doing well in that competition we should start preparing early.”

The Rwandan team is scheduled to arrive the country on Wednesday 23, January with a seventeen member delegation comprising of fourteen players and three officials while their Nigerian counterparts have selected sixteen from the twenty five players originally invited to camp in Kaduna ahead of the series.

NIGERIA FEMALE NATIONAL TEAM LIST FOR RWANDA TOUR
1. Ephraim Grace
2. Obulor Agatha
3. Igbobie Abigail
4. Fyneface Fate
5. Agazuma Samantha
6. Esiegbe Favour
7. Ayoka Hannah
8. Etim Blessing
9. Nwobodo Blessing
10. Efosa Joy
11. Frank Blessing
12. Abdulquadri Taiwo
13. Samson Rachael
14. Desmond Mary
15. Seaman Timi
16. George Ogechi

RWANDA WOMEN NATIONAL TEAM LIST FOR NIGERIA TOUR 2019

1. ISHIMWE Henriette
2. IRIHO Veronique
3. BIMENYIMANA Marie Diane
4. MUHAWENIMANA Immaculee
5. ISHIMWE Gisele
6. UWERA Sarah
7. UWAMAHORO Cathia
8. INGABIRE Sifa
9. IKUZWE Alice
10. IRAKOZE Flora
11. NYIRANKUNDINEZA Josiane
12. ISHIMWE DUSABEMUNGU Diane
13. VUMILIYA Margueritte
14. UWIMBABAZI Antoinette
    OFFICIALS
15. MWANJA Joshua Declan (Coach)
16. GAHONZIRE Victoire (Manager)
17. UWIMANA Sonia (Head of Delegation)