When Sarah Bhakita retired from her two-decade cricket career in 2022 at the age of 34, she believed her childhood dream of reaching the World Cup with Kenya had slipped away.
However, fate had other ideas. Less than a year after stepping into coaching, the former all-rounder led Nigeria’s Under-19 women’s cricket team to a historic qualification for the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, set to be held in Malaysia.
Nigeria achieved this by winning the Africa Division One qualifiers title in Kigali, Rwanda, last month—a breakthrough that set a new milestone for women’s cricket in the football-loving West African nation.
“That achievement felt surreal,” Bhakita told Nation Sport. “Something I couldn’t achieve as a player, I accomplished as a coach, and it didn’t take much time. It brought a lot of emotions,” added the 36-year-old ICC Level II Coaching License holder. For Bhakita, the accomplishment was deeply fulfilling; she takes immense pride in being the first coach to guide Nigeria to its first-ever women’s Cricket World Cup.
Former Kenya International Women Cricket player at Nairobi Gymkhana on October 5, 2024.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
In Nigeria, a country where football reigns supreme with six men’s World Cup appearances, three Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) titles, and a strong record in women’s football(Record 11Afcon titles, nine World Cup appearances), cricket has been a relatively minor sport.
Known as the “Junior Female Yellow Greens”, the Nigeria U-19 women’s cricket team made history in the Kigali tournament by being declared Africa Division One champions after rain interrupted the final match against Zimbabwe.
With a stronger performance in the group stage, including a thrilling one-wicket win over Zimbabwe, Nigeria emerged as the deserving winners. Bhakita was confident that her team would have prevailed even if the final had continued. “It looked a bit cloudy at the start, and Zimbabwe had a good opening, but I never doubted my girls. They’re fighters, and even without the rain, I knew something would have happened,” she said.
Bhakita’s journey to coaching success in Nigeria started with a call from the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF). After years as a player and coach in Kenya, she accepted an offer from the NCF in January to coach the U-19 women’s team.
From left: Daisy Wairimu, Ruth Achando, Lameck Ngoche, Queentor Abel and Sarah Bhakita at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on January 10, 2022 ahead of their departure to Malaysia for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Qualifiers.
Photo credit: Pool
Initially, she was appointed as batting consultant and mentor for the Nigeria senior women’s team in June 2022, but she did not anticipate guiding the U-19 team to a World Cup berth within just eight months of taking up her coaching duties. She admits the rapid achievement was a pleasant surprise.
She highlighted Nigeria’s strong cricket structure as a key factor. “The structure is so good, and that’s one thing I appreciate about Nigeria. They’re serious about development, and it starts from primary school,” she said.
In addition to this solid foundation, Bhakita introduced an aggressive coaching approach, working intensively with players on their individual strengths and weaknesses.
“You can’t just wake up and be aggressive; it has to start in the nets. So we really worked on it,” she explained, noting that the team trained rigorously for two months leading up to the Africa Division One qualifiers, albeit with intermittent breaks.
Her coaching philosophy involved intensive one-on-one sessions aimed at improving each player’s skill set and understanding of the game.
Photo/FILE
Kenya’s Sarah Bhakita plays a delivery watched by wicketkeeper Yolandi Vander Weithusen during their ICC Women Cricket World Cup qualifier against South Africa in Nairobi in 2010.
She emphasised aggressive tactics with both bat and ball, sharing insights and advice from her extensive experience as a player to help her young squad develop resilience and discipline. “These girls worked hard. I saw the hunger and determination in them, which reminded me of my early days in cricket,” said Bhakita, a Lukenya Girls High School alumna.
The NCF’s dedication to youth development also contributed significantly to the team’s success. Nigeria has a comprehensive cricket development programme that features numerous age-group leagues across the country, nurturing talent from an early age.
The players selected for the U-19 team in Kigali were chosen from an U-17 tournament held earlier in the year, underscoring Nigeria’s robust system for scouting and developing young players.
Bhakita’s journey to Nigeria’s coaching role began unexpectedly. In June 2022, after Kenya’s match against Nigeria at the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament in Kigali, NCF president Uyi Akpata approached her with an offer to mentor the Nigeria national senior women’s team.
Kenya’s Sarah Bhakita training at Sir Ali Muslim Club last week. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
Having contemplated retirement from her playing career, Bhakita welcomed the opportunity. It was a decision that brought her two-decade playing career with Kenya to a close, and she began focusing fully on her new role in Nigeria.
Bhakita’s own cricketing journey started during her school days at Dr Livingstone Primary School in Nairobi’s Eastlands area.
Initially uninterested in sports, Bhakita tried various activities, including volleyball and gymnastics, but struggled to find a fit. It wasn’t until cricket coach, Dun Okinyo, encouraged her to try cricket that she found her passion. “It was so much fun,” she recalled.
By 13, she had already made it onto Kenya’s national women’s cricket team, competing in a 2002 East Africa Regional tournament.
The tournament organisers recognised her potential, naming her the Most Promising Young Cricket Player in East Africa—a title she would live up to as she went on to become a core player in Kenya’s national team.
Over her career, Bhakita achieved several milestones, including scoring an unbeaten 186 runs against Rwanda during the 2008 East Africa Championships in Nairobi.
Her talent extended beyond Kenya’s borders, allowing her to play for top clubs in Uganda, such as Wanderers Cricket Club, Aziz Damani Cricket Club, and Olila Cricket Club.
However, her journey was not without challenges. Lack of financial support and irregular pay in Kenyan cricket often tested her dedication. “The first time I was paid was in 2010, after we went on strike. I received Sh11,000. What really drove us was passion, not money,” she recalled.
While Bhakita loved playing, she discovered an equal passion for coaching. Throughout her career, she accompanied various Kenyan coaches, including former internationals Joseph Angara and Peter Ongondo, to gain hands-on coaching experience.
Her coaching journey officially began in 2014 when the East Africa Character Development Trust (EACDT), an organisation aimed at transforming lives through sports, recruited her for their cricket programs, which include coaching at schools across Kenya.
“I thank the NCF because they saw something in me I hadn’t recognised myself. This achievement has opened my eyes, and I know now that I have to advance in my coaching courses,” she said.
Bhakita hopes to guide Nigeria to the semi-finals in the upcoming World Cup and dreams of seeing her coaching impact in global cricket arenas.
Her transition to Nigeria has been smooth, and she feels at home in the West African nation, quickly adapting to its weather and food. Alongside her coaching career, Bhakita also manages an events business, which keeps her connected to her entrepreneurial ambitions.
She remains focused on helping Nigeria’s young players develop their potential and thrive on the international stage. For Bhakita, her success with Nigeria isn’t just a career milestone; it’s a testament to her resilience, passion, and the transformative power of sport.
