Football


LAUTECH Hunters will attempt to shut down the FUTMINNA Transformers in Ogbomoso as matches in the Round of 16 of the 2021 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) kicks off today, Wednesday. Across four centres, teams spread across eight universities will hope for favourable score lines that will put them in good standing going into the second leg of the matches.

It would be recalled that LAUTECH Hunters qualified from Group C alongside FUTA Tigers and UNILAG Marines while FUTMINNA Transformers qualified from Group B with ABU Nobles.

In other round of 16 matches for week 1, AAUA Luminaries will host OAU Giants in Akungba; UNIBEN Royals will tackle UNICAL Malabites in Benin while BUK Stallions will slug it out with UNIMAID Desert Warriors in Kano.

Speaking on the matches, the Chief Strategy Officer at PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited, Mr. Goodness Onyejiaku said fans lovers of football will be thrilled at the talents on display in this year’s edition.

“We are happy that HiFL has now set some records regarding the caliber of players that the league is producing. Scouts across the country are now paying greater attention to the games in order to identify talents, particularly for students who have chosen the path of growing a carrier in football. We sincerely thank our sponsors including StanbicIBTC, Nivea Men, Minimie and Hiversa for their support. To our partner, the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA)we are also very please” Goodness said.

In his remark, President of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) Prof. Stephen Hamafyelto said “HiFL is full of surprises and our fans should get set to watch more exciting matches as great talents are emerging this season on our campuses. We thank all our sponsors for believing in this great dream and the participating institutions for their sportsmanship. NUGA and HiFL are fully committed to their mandate of creating sporting opportunities for students in Nigerian universities to excel even as they conveniently marry sports and academy with the support of the University managements. We are proud of the successes recorded in this regard.”

It would be recalled that the Higher Institution Football League (HiFL) an initiative of PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited started in 2018. The maiden edition was won by UAM Tillers.