The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has officially introduced Stephen Mangongo as the new Head Coach and High Performance Manager of the national cricket team as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s cricket development agenda.
The unveiling ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Cricket Lab, TBS Cricket Oval in Lagos, with federation executives, stakeholders, former internationals, players, media representatives and cricket enthusiasts in attendance.
Speaking during the event, NCF President Uyi Akpata described Mangongo’s appointment as a strategic move aimed at advancing the federation’s long-term performance objectives and sustaining the growth of cricket across Nigeria.
According to Akpata, the federation has consistently invested in grassroots initiatives, coaching education, player development and infrastructure to improve the overall standard of the sport in the country.
He noted that Nigeria’s cricket development programmes have continued to attract international recognition and expressed confidence that Mangongo’s experience would further strengthen the nation’s high-performance structure.
Akpata also revealed that the position attracted 44 applicants from various cricketing nations before the federation’s Technical Committee unanimously recommended Mangongo for the role.
Mangongo brings a wealth of experience to the job, having previously coached Zimbabwe Under-19, Zimbabwe A and the country’s senior national team. Among his notable achievements was guiding Zimbabwe to a memorable victory over Australia during a 2014 tri-series tournament.
He has also participated in several International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and contributed significantly to the development of prominent Zimbabwean cricketers such as Hamilton Masakadza and Tatenda Taibu.
Reacting to his appointment, Mangongo expressed appreciation to the federation for the opportunity, describing the role as both an honour and a major responsibility.
He praised Nigeria’s cricket structure, especially the strong emphasis on grassroots development and youth investment, adding that his previous experience working with Nigeria’s women’s team exposed him to the country’s enormous potential in the sport.
Mangongo said the discipline, commitment and determination shown by Nigerian players indicate that the nation can emerge as one of Africa’s leading cricket forces in the coming years.
He added that qualifying Nigeria for future ICC World Cups remains one of the major goals of his tenure, stressing that consistency, professionalism and hard work would be key to achieving that ambition.
The event concluded with the formal signing of appointment documents alongside media interactions and engagements with stakeholders.