Nigeria successfully defended their West Africa Trophy title, defeating Rwanda by 40 runs in the final at the NCF Pitch in Abuja on Sunday, December 14th.
This victory mirrors their triumph at the inaugural tournament in Lagos in 2023, when Nigeria also overcame Rwanda to lift the crown.
Led by former Kenya international Steve Tikolo, the Nigerian side dominated the tournament, winning nine out of 10 matches. Their only defeat came earlier in the group stage, when Rwanda handed them a 23-run loss.
In the final, Nigeria won the toss and elected to bat, a decision that paid off as the team posted a challenging total. Sylvester Okpe led the charge with 35 not out off 22 balls, while captain Sulaimon Runsewe contributed a brisk 34 from 26 balls.
Further support came from Selim Salau (25), Danladi Isaac (14), and Vincent Adewoye (21), all striking at impressive rates. Extras added another 13 runs, giving Nigeria a competitive total of 153/5 in 20 overs.
Rwanda’s chase showed early promise, with Didier Ndikubwimana top-scoring with 33 from 38 balls and Khan Hamza contributing 27 runs. However, the visitors struggled to build partnerships capable of challenging the target.
Tight bowling and sharp fielding by Nigeria consistently broke the flow of Rwanda’s innings. Ndubudem David, Isaac Okpe, and Joshua Asia claimed two crucial wickets each, preventing any significant momentum.
Despite their efforts, Rwanda fell 40 runs short, finishing at 117/9, as Nigeria celebrated a dominant title defense.
