NIGERIA STALLIONS FINISH SIXTH IN AFRICAN SEVENS CAMPAIGN AFTER FIGHTING KAMPALA DISPLAY

NAIJASPORTAINMENT BLOG

27th September 2026

NIGERIA STALLIONS FINISH SIXTH IN AFRICAN SEVENS CAMPAIGN AFTER FIGHTING KAMPALA DISPLAY

Nigeria’s senior men’s rugby sevens team, the Stallions, finished sixth at the African Men’s Sevens campaign in Kampala, Uganda, after a tournament that tested the team’s resilience and ability to recover from setbacks.

The Stallions opened the competition with a commanding 26–5 victory over Ghana, before suffering a heavy 36–5 defeat to Morocco.

Those results left Nigeria facing a difficult route through the placement stages.

Despite the difficult setback against Morocco, Nigeria responded strongly and continued to compete for a higher finish.

STALLIONS BATTLE ZIMBABWE

Nigeria’s next major challenge came against eventual champions Zimbabwe.

The Stallions fought hard but eventually lost 26–14 to the Zimbabweans.

The defeat meant Nigeria would have to fight through the placement matches, with their campaign now focused on securing the highest possible position.

Rather than allowing the earlier defeats to affect their determination, the Nigerian side produced an important response against Senegal.

NIGERIA EDGE SENEGAL IN THRILLER

The contest against Senegal developed into a closely fought encounter.

Nigeria were forced to work for every point as Senegal continued to push until the final stages, but the Stallions held their nerve to secure a thrilling 25–22 victory.

The result earned Nigeria a place in the fifth-place playoff against Tunisia.

TUNISIA DENY STALLIONS FIFTH PLACE

The fifth-place playoff provided another physical battle.

Tunisia produced the more clinical attacking performance and eventually defeated Nigeria 19–7.

The result left the Stallions in sixth position overall.Although Nigeria missed out on fifth place, the final position represented a one-place improvement on their pre-tournament ranking, giving the team something positive to take from their Kampala campaign.

A CAMPAIGN OF RESILIENCE

Nigeria’s tournament was marked by contrasting moments.

The heavy defeat to Morocco could easily have damaged the team’s momentum, but the Stallions responded with competitive performances against stronger opposition before defeating Senegal in a tense placement match.

Their journey demonstrated the importance of recovery and resilience in tournament rugby.For Nigeria, sixth place was not the finish they had hoped for, but the Stallions showed their ability to regroup and fight back after adversity.

ZIMBABWE CLAIM THE TITLE

Zimbabwe completed an impressive tournament by defeating hosts Uganda 26–19 in the Cup Final to become champions.

Uganda settled for the silver medal after reaching the final on home soil.

In the bronze-medal match, Morocco defeated Zambia 19–17 in another dramatic contest to claim third place.Morocco had trailed during the match but produced a late fightback to edge Zambia and secure the bronze medal.

NIGERIA’S KAMPALA JOURNEY

Pool/Opening Matches

🇳🇬 Nigeria 26–5 Ghana 🇬🇭

🇳🇬 Nigeria 5–36 Morocco 🇲🇦

Placement Matches

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 26–14 Nigeria 🇳🇬

🇳🇬 Nigeria 25–22 Senegal 🇸🇳

🇹🇳 Tunisia 19–7 Nigeria 🇳🇬 — 5th Place Final

FINAL STANDINGS

🥇 Zimbabwe — Champions

🥈 Uganda — Runners-up

🥉 Morocco — Bronze

4️⃣ Zambia

5️⃣ Tunisia

6️⃣ Nigeria

7️⃣ Senegal

8️⃣ Ghana

THE STALLIONS LOOK AHEAD

The Stallions leave Kampala with sixth place and valuable competitive experience from a tournament that demanded both physical strength and mental resilience.

From the opening victory over Ghana to the difficult loss against Morocco, the response against Senegal and the final battle with Tunisia, Nigeria’s campaign provided several lessons for the development of the country’s rugby sevens programme.

The next challenge will be to build on the experience gained in Kampala and continue pushing Nigerian rugby towards a stronger position on the African stage.

By OLAWALE HAMZAT TOP STRIKER

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