NCF unveils Stephen Mangongo as head coach, targets T20 World Cup qualification
The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has appointed experienced Zimbabwean tactician Stephen Mangongo as the new head coach and high-performance manager of the national team, with the ambitious goal of leading Nigeria to qualification for the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup.
Mangongo was officially unveiled on Wednesday at the Cricket Lab, TBS Cricket Oval in Lagos, where he signed a three-year contract to begin a new chapter with the Yellow Greens.
He succeeds former Kenyan international Steve Tikolo, whose tenure ended earlier this year after more than three years in charge of the national side.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, NCF President Uyi Akpata described Mangongo’s appointment as a significant move in the federation’s long-term vision to build a stronger and more competitive cricket structure in Nigeria.
Akpata highlighted the federation’s continued investment in grassroots cricket, coaching education, player development pathways, facilities and high-performance programmes, stressing that the Nigeria Super League remains a critical part of the country’s cricket growth strategy.
“While 60 per cent of his role is high performance for the male and female teams, he will design a refined and smooth pipeline for our future stars. We already have a system in place, and he acknowledged that,” Akpata said.
“He will meet all Nigerian coaches and identify those who will work with him, and he can also bring in technical experts occasionally where there are high-performance camps, but he has to work with Nigerian coaches permanently.”
Mangongo arrives in Nigeria with extensive coaching experience across different levels of international cricket. He has previously handled Zimbabwe’s U-19, Zimbabwe A, and senior national teams, earning recognition for his role in developing some of the country’s notable cricket talents.
One of the standout moments of his coaching career came in 2014 when he guided Zimbabwe to a memorable victory over Australia during a tri-series tournament, a result still regarded as one of Zimbabwe cricket’s biggest achievements.
The Zimbabwean has also been involved in several ICC tournaments as both head coach and assistant coach while contributing significantly to the development of players such as Hamilton Masakadza and Tatenda Taibu.
Speaking after his unveiling, Mangongo made it clear that World Cup qualification remains one of the major objectives of his tenure.
“The NCF are very ambitious. They want results, and they want the age-grade teams to produce future stars, and those are key areas where I want to be measured. We want to get Nigeria to the World Cup. I am under no illusion, and I believe it is achievable. If you don’t have ambition, there is no point,” he said ahead of the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup qualifying campaign.
“As an African, I feel proud that we have a country that wants to take the game of cricket to the next level. I would like to be remembered as a person who helped the transition of cricket in Nigeria from being just one of the sports to a professional sport, and that Nigeria gets recognition as one of the best cricketing teams in Africa.”
Mangongo also praised the NCF for creating opportunities through the Nigeria Super League and its developmental structures, noting that many young cricketers globally do not have access to the facilities and programmes currently available in Nigeria.
His first major assignment will come in October when Nigeria hosts the Africa Sub-Regional C Qualifiers for the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup.
The Yellow Greens will compete against Gambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia, with the top two teams advancing to the regional finals next year as Nigeria begins its quest for a historic World Cup appearance.
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