Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka ended on Tuesday following a seven-wicket loss to Kenya in their final group game at the African qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

With their dream cut short, the Yellow Greens will now aim to finish the tournament on a respectable note, starting with a classification clash against Botswana. A win would set them up for the fifth-place playoff against the victor of the Uganda and Malawi encounter.

Nigeria went into the decisive fixture against Kenya, knowing only victory would secure a semi-final spot and keep their qualification hopes alive. Batting first, the West Africans posted 147 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs. Isaac Danladi top-scored with a resilient 53 off 47 balls, while Sulaimon Runsewe (27 off 32) and captain Sylvester Okpe (26 off 19) added valuable contributions.

However, Kenya, desperate to stay alive after two earlier defeats, made light work of the chase. Led by Sachin Bhudia’s explosive 57 off 29 balls and Rakep Patel’s 53 off 38, they raced to 148 for three in just 13 overs.

The victory secured Kenya, a semi-final berth against hosts Zimbabwe, who dominated Tanzania by 113 runs to top Group B. Group A leaders Namibia will face Tanzania in the other semi-final.

Only the two finalists will claim Africa’s tickets to the 2026 T20 World Cup.