Cricket: Runsewe Leads Nigeria To West Africa Trophy Defence In Abuja

Cricket: Runsewe Leads Nigeria To West Africa Trophy Defence In Abuja

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria’s senior men’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, will begin their title defence at the 2025 West Africa Trophy on Thursday in Abuja, with wicketkeeper Sulaimon Runsewe set to lead the side for the regional showpiece, BSNSports.com. reports

Head coach and high-performance manager of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Steve Tikolo, released a 14-man squad for the tournament, confirming that regular captain Sylvester Okpe has granted Runsewe the responsibility of leading the team for the campaign.

 The Kenyan tactician also introduced a number of fresh faces as Nigeria aims for a strong outing on home soil.

Runsewe will be joined by key performers Selim Salau, Ali Rahmon, Daniel Ajekun, and Danladi Isaac, all expected to play crucial roles in what promises to be a fiercely competitive tournament.

Also making the squad are the Okpe brothers Sylvester and Isaac Okpe whose international experience is expected to provide stability across both batting and bowling units.

The squad is further bolstered by a blend of youth and experience, including Vincent Adewoye, Kenneth Boniface, Prosper Useni, Ukasha Ishaku, Elochukwu Ndubudem, Joshua Asia, and Abdullahi Ismail, giving the Yellow Greens depth in all departments.

Nigeria will kick off their campaign on Thursday with a potentially explosive opener against Zambia.

They will then face Sierra Leone on Friday, December 5, before taking on Rwanda the following day.

All four participating nations will face each other three times each in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the final as the battle for regional supremacy intensifies in Abuja.