3rd Place Playoff: Brazil Women vs Nigeria Women - Squads, Preview and Live Streaming Details

The stage is set for a high-stakes, bronze-medal showdown at the 2026 Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament as Brazil and Nigeria prepare to clash in the highly anticipated third-place playoff match.

Having both narrowly missed out on a spot in the grand final, these two evenly matched teams will leave everything on the field at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali to finish their tournament campaigns on a high note. In their previous round-robin encounters, Brazil held a psychological edge, having twice defeated Nigeria by 7 wickets. With both sides possessing dynamic match-winners and a point to prove, the clash promises a thrilling blend of high-intensity powerplays, tactical spin bowling, and absolute determination to claim the bronze.

Squads:

Brazil Women’s Cricket Team

Carolina Nascimento (C), Laura Cardoso, Monnike Rufino, Roberta Moretti, Laura Agatha, Lindsay Vilas Boas, Maria Luiza Garcia, Evelyn Müller, Marianne Artur, Ana Clara Sabino, Giulia Ribeiro, Nicole Monteiro, Maria Eduarda Mc G. Ribeiro, Lara Bittencourt

Nigeria Women’s Cricket Team

Christabel Chukwuonye, Deborah Bassey, Esther Sandy, Favour Effiong, Favour Eseigbe (C), Henrietta Mbam, Jessica Bieni, Lilian Ude, Omosigho Eguakun, Oseyende Omonkhobhia, Rachael Samson, Salome Sunday, Sarah Etim, Shola Adenkunle

Players to watch out:

Carolina Nascimento

At just 22 years old, she has developed into a top-class right-arm medium bowler who sets the tone for Brazil’s defense. Nascimento is highly disciplined, with over 40 T20 international wickets to her name and an incredible career economy rate of under 5 runs per over. She knows how to mix her pace and build scoreboard pressure. With a career-best of 5 wickets for just 12 runs, she is fully capable of destroying an opponent’s middle order if they try to score too fast against her.

Also Read: Interview with Nicole Monteiro - Hockey Player, Teacher and now a Cricketer at Brazil Women's Cricket Team

Laura Cardoso

The 21-year-old is a phenomenal bowling all-rounder who regularly bats in the top order and spearheads the fast-bowling attack. Earlier this year in April, she shocked the world by setting the all-time world record for the best bowling figures in T20 international history, taking an unbelievable 9 wickets for just 4 runs against Lesotho—including taking 5 wickets in 5 consecutive balls. She also has a highest batting score of 71 not out.

Favour Eseigbe

The 24-year-old is the tactical brain and the most vital player in the squad. She handles high-pressure moments beautifully and holds the entire team together. She is a highly dependable all-rounder. Her accurate right-arm leg-spin is fantastic for drying up runs and forcing mistakes from opposing batters, while her steady batting in the top-middle order anchors the innings. For Nigeria to win, Eseigbe needs to have a big game.

Pitch:

The pitch at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium is expected to offer plenty of assistance to the bowlers. With pacers traditionally dominating on this surface, the toss will be crucial, as teams batting first generally hold the upper hand under these conditions.

Weather:

The weather card for Rwanda shows a daytime condition of mostly sunny with a high temperature of 26°C. With rain likely to stay away, we are in for a complete game of cricket.

Fantasy Playing XI:

Esther Sandy, Maria Luiza Garcia, Christabel Chukwuonye, Laura Agatha, Carolina Nascimento, Favour Eseigbe, Laura Cardoso, Nicole Monteiro, Roberta Moretti, Lillian Udeh, Rachael Samson