Nigeria beat Mozambique by seven wickets with 69 balls remaining in the 7th match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier Group C at the Nigeria Cricket Federation Oval 1 in Abuja on 23 October 2026. Player of the match Isaac Okpe returned extraordinary figures of 4/3 from 3.4 overs, with two maidens, as Mozambique were held to 93.
How It Unfolded
Mozambique won the toss and chose to bat. Joao Hou top-scored with 35 off 31 balls, hitting four sixes, and Agostinho Navicha added 20 off 12 balls with three sixes. Nobody else reached double figures: Vieira Tembo and Camate Roposo made 6 each, while Jose Bulele and Lourenco Salomone scored 5 apiece.
Okpe was almost unplayable, conceding just three runs in 22 balls. Ridwan Abdulkareem took 2/9 from two overs, Miracle Akhigbe 2/17 from three and Peter Aho 1/13.
Nigeria needed 94 and got there in 8.3 overs, finishing on 94/3. Ali Rahmon led the chase with 41 off 24 balls, including eight fours, and Selim Salau struck 21 off nine balls. Akhigbe followed his two wickets with 20 not out off 15 balls. Tembo was the pick of the Mozambique bowlers with 2/10 from one over, and Salomone took 1/21.
The Oracle's Call
The CricMind Oracle locked Nigeria as favourites before the toss at 76%, with Mozambique on 24%. Nigeria's win made the call correct. The model rated Nigeria at 1065, 39th, against Mozambique's 924, 68th. You can read the full Oracle call for the factors behind it.
What's Next
This was Nigeria's third win of the group, after victories in the 3rd and 6th matches, and their second over Mozambique, according to the series standing. Mozambique's one win so far came in the 4th match. Uganda have won twice, and Lesotho and Zambia once each. Follow every result on the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier Group C hub.
Source: Scorecard and the Oracle call.