The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation has released a 42-man provisional roster ahead of the highly anticipated Heritage Cup showdown against Ghana, confirming that only home-based players will represent the Stallions XV in the Accra fixture scheduled for November 29.
The encounter, set to hold at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium, has been framed as a fierce renewal of the long-standing rivalry between both West African rugby powerhouses. According to officials, the Nigerian contingent will begin preparations on November 22, with all invited players expected to report to camp at Ojez Hotel on Jones Street, Ebutte Metta in Lagos.
Federation representatives explained that the selected squad showcases a broad mix of standout talent from top domestic clubs across the country. The pool features players from Cowrie, Racing, Barewa, Delta, Edo State, Zaria, Kwara Dynamite, Nigeria Police, AJ Sharks and Plateau Tigers, in addition to two players whose club affiliations were not disclosed. The list reflects the federation’s intention to highlight Nigeria’s growing local rugby structure and deepen its competitive depth.
The forwards include Quadri Kolawole of Cowrie, Julius Godwin of Racing, Iyintosoluwa Kolawole of Racing, Olatunde Sulaiman of Cowrie, Obi Wilson of Barewa, Emmanuel Agu of Barewa, Jude Abrakson of Barewa, Chukwudera Onunkwo of Racing, Nelson Eselekhomwen of Edo State, Adebayo Tobi of Racing, Chidozie Nwabunwanne of Cowrie, Cornelius Arebamhen, Friday Solomon of Delta, Akeem Yusuf of Cowrie, Akinkunmi Akande of AJ Sharks, Liberty Enoma of Delta State and Williams Malu of Nigeria Police.
The backs division is made up of Isa Omale of Barewa, Oseni Fawaz of AJ Sharks, Ibrahim Jeje of Kwara Dynamite, Jeremiah Peter of Barewa, Adamu Husaini of Zazzau Rugby, Innocent Peter of Delta State, Joshua Rankin of Cowrie, Christian Williams of Barewa, Joseph Junior Girigi of Kwara Dynamite, Ezekiel Tom of AJ Sharks, Joshua Etim of Barewa, Sadam Abubakar of Nigeria Police and Benedict Obianuju of Delta Marine.
With the Heritage Cup approaching and national pride at stake, the all-local Stallions will look to reaffirm Nigeria’s status in West African rugby when they face their Ghanaian rivals later this month.
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