HOSTS NIGERIA won the 2019 MEA Championship, defeating Morocco 38-10 at the TBS Cricket Oval, home of Lagos Cricket Club. Captain and loose forward, London Broncos Sadiq Adebiyi scored a try in each half, Nigeria leading 18-4 at the break.

“We are delighted with the victory,” said Nigeria head coach Joe Mbu. “The score line does not reflect the effort from Morocco and, for long periods, it could have gone either way.

“The achievement of winning the trophy on our debut will stay long in our memory, and the intention is now to push on developing the sport here, there is clearly a demand for it.”

As he had in the semi final against Ghana, hooker Bolu Fagborun opened the scoring for Nigeria with a strong dart from close in after only two minutes, winger Sam Prince doubling the lead when he flicked a loose ball into his hands and raced 80 metres to cross; Isah Lawal-Saylawa with his second conversion.

Morocco went close to scoring when winger Soufiane Kissi just missed a kick through to the corner and Adebiyi made them pay when he powered through a host of tackles just after the half hour.

The North Africans hit back with a well worked try, the ball passing through three pairs of hands for prop Adam Eddiche to burst through a gap to score.

Just before the break Lawal-Saylawa converted a penalty and six minutes into the second half the influential Nigerian scrum half broke through to score just wide of the posts. A dispute after an alleged shoulder charge then saw him sin binned, along with Morocco’s Samuel Akpabio.

Man of the match Adebiyi took a short ball from Jubril Olajide  to score his second try which was converted by winger Gabriel John, who also added the extras after pacey centre Marcel Izuchykwu broke on the outside. Gabriel John then claimed Nigeria’s seventh try following a superb cut out pass from Ibrahim Nuhu.

Morocco’s standoff Iliass Laachiri took a great pass from dummy half to score a consolation try, which he converted.