The Nigeria national rugby league team, Green Hawks, thrashed their counterparts from Ghana 30-4 to retain the Middle East-Africa Rugby League Championship title on Saturday. 

Nigeria had earlier hammered Cameroon 36-2 to book a place in the final while Ghana thrashed Kenya 26-6 to qualify for the final.

The Green Hawks who won the 2019 edition of the tournament disgraced the West African and arch rival on their home soil in the four-nation competition that also had Cameroon and Kenya as participants.

The tournament began on September 27 and ended Saturday, October 1, at the Mansah Sabbah Field, University of Ghana in Legon, Accra.

The Green Hawks have now advanced to the next phase of qualification for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup scheduled to be held between October and November in France.

One of the Nigerian players, Michael Ayodeji Ogunwole, said he hoped to help the country become the first African nation to qualify for the World Cup in a statement prior to the tournament.

“It’s an honor to be called up to the national team, especially as we embark on a special journey to be the first African country to make it to the World Cup. This will allow us to show what Africa has to offer on the world stage,” Ogunwole said.