Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo
FORMER Chevrons head coach and development stalwart Steve Mangongo has described his appointment as Nigeria Cricket head coach and High Performance Manager as a major step towards the growth of the game on the African continent.
Mangongo, who had been heading Zimbabwe Cricket’s high-performance department, and boasts of an over-three decade coaching career, was announced by the Nigerian Cricket Federation (NCF) on Sunday and will officially be unveiled on Wednesday.
The celebrated coach is hopeful of making a significant impact on the game in the West African nation.
“I’m looking forward to it, it’s chattering new waters. It’s a new project. The game must grow in Africa. Nigeria has serious potential, it has serious people leading the game administratively. It has numbers, both boys and girls, the population is very big.
“The missing link has been quality coaching and quality programmes and i hope that i will be impactful,” Mangongo told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
Mangongo replaced Kenyan coach, Steve Tikolo, who held the role for more than three years between October 2022 and January 2026.
His appointment ends the NCF’s four-month search for Tikolo’s replacement as Nigeria prepares to compete in the ICC 2028 T20 World Cup qualifiers later this year.
