• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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HiFL 2019: 16 teams qualify for knock out stage

HiFL (1)

UAM Tillers, BUK Stallions, ESUT Explorers and RSU Dolphins have all advanced to the round of 16 in the ongoing 2019 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) 2019 season on Thursday, 18th July. UAM Tillers emerged as Group H winners after qualifying automatically due to their outstanding performance as winner of the 2018 season, while BUK Stallions go through as runners up after securing a tough 3:3 draw against BSU Weavers in the final game of the group.

BSU Weavers’s Silas Aondover’s stellar performance certainly pleased the cheering crowd but was not enough to see the Makurdi Side qualify despite his hat trick, as BUK stallions leveraged on a tight final day draw to clinch 4 points after an opening game win against NSUK Miners. UAM Tillers are paired in Group H, with BSU Weavers, BUK Stallions and NSUK Miners.

In Umudike, ESUT Explorers topped Group D by securing 7 points to qualify for the round of 16, after outclassing their opponents to outline their intentions as contenders for the trophy. The other qualification spot in the group however went down to the wire as RSU Dolphins emerged after garnering 5 points from the group.

The 16 teams that have all qualified from the knock out stages, include Super Four teams from the 2018 season, UAM Tillers, UNILORIN Warriors, UNICAL Malabites and OAU Giants, others are UI Pioneers, LASU Blazers, FUTA Tigers, UNIBEN Royals, BUK Stallions, ESUT Explorers, RSU Dolphins, UNIUYO Tuskites, FUOYE Dazzlers, FUTMINNA Transformers, KUST Pyramids and ABU Nobles. Round of 16 games kick off on the 24th of July, with OAU Giants renewing their rivalry with UI Pioneers in a battle for the ages in Ile-Ife.

The league is organised by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA) and is proudly sponsored by Stanbic IBTC, Premier Cool and Indomie Nigeria. The top 32 Universities from NUGA-member institutions will play over a period of 21 weeks, with the final four billed for the Agege Stadium, Lagos.