Nigeria beat Sierra Leone 113 to 80 in the Twenty20 quadrangular series here on September twenty-first. The hosts opened the standings with two wins from two matches, while the visitors dropped to third after a first defeat of the tournament. It was a straightforward evening for Nigeria, who did not need to work too hard after their opening victory.
Sierra Leone had looked competitive in their previous encounters, losing narrowly to Uganda and Kenya before falling to Botswana. But against the hosts, they found no answer to the opening exchanges. The visitors' recent form suggested a tough run, and this result confirmed the difficulty of playing away in this competition.
The scoreboard told the story without much drama. Nigeria built their lead early and then saw the game out without further pressure. Sierra Leone kept pushing but could not find a way back into the contest. By then, the result was beyond doubt.
Standings after this match
- Nigeria: 1st, 2 games, 2 wins, 4 points
- Sierra Leone: 3rd, 2 games, 1 win, 1 loss, 2 points
The visitors' record since the tournament began shows they have been close in most games. The losses to Botswana and Nigeria were wider than the defeats to Uganda and Kenya, but the gap in quality was clear tonight. Sierra Leone now face a difficult path if they want to finish higher.
For Nigeria, the two wins put them top of the table with a game to spare. The margin of victory was comfortable, and they have kept their momentum going. What matters now is maintaining that standard against the remaining opponents.
