Bad officiating caused Nigeria’s loss at African Regional 7s Championship

Black Stallions’ Captain, Azeez Oladipo is disappointed by the outcome of the just-concluded African Regional Sevens Men’s Tournament held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Nigeria finished second in the competition, but Oladipo believes the Black Stallions would have won the event if the officiating were fair.

Nigeria lost 22 to 17 to Cote d’Ivoire in the final match.

Analyzing their outing in Abidjan, Oladipo said, ‘’I am not happy with the final result but I must admit I am quite pleased with the boys, especially the newbies in the squad. They did really well; the boys gave it their all.”

He praised Head coach, Bronson Weir for his openness and all inclusive style of leadership, which he said has brought out the best in the players.

“All the other teams kept saying Nigeria was the champion out there in Abidjan… they believe we won the final match, but we had to abide by the referees decision and move on,” he said.

On the road to the final of the Africa regional tourney, Nigeria defeated Niger Republic 26-0, Benin Republic 36-0 and Algeria 10-0 to emerge group leader.

In the semifinals, Black Stallions outscored Burkina Faso 17-7 before facing Cote d’Ivoire at the Institute National de la Jeunesse et des Sports (INJS), Abidjan.

The President of Rugby Afrique, Mr. Abulazeez Bhoudja, watched the tournament.

Meanwhile, Rugby Afrique has disclosed that Nigeria was being considered for invitation for the Africa/Asia Games based on its performance at the regional tournament.