PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited has released the schedule for the qualifying rounds of the 2021 Higher Institution Football League (HiFL) which kicks off on April 20, 2021.
According to the schedule released, the 25 schools participating in the qualifiers have been drawn into five centres across Zones A-E.
Winners and runners-up in each Zone will automatically qualify for the round of 16 and join the four teams that played in the Super four of the 2019 league season. By the rules of the games, teams in the Super Four for a particular season, automatically qualify into the round of 16 for the following season. The two best losers across the Zones will complete the final list of the 16 teams.
Speaking on the league, Director at PACE Sports Sola Fijabi said “everything is set for players and fans of collegiate sports to have an interesting season with the full support of all our sponsors and other stakeholders. However, we encourage all athletes and officials at the games to ensure that they adhere strictly to the Covid-19 preventive protocols for safer games.”
In line with the schedule, games in Zone A will take place at the Bayero University, Kano while schools in Zone B would have their games played at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. The centre for Zone C would be at the Lagos State University, Ojo, Zone D game will hold at the University of Benin, Edo State while teams in Zone E will do battle at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.
Teams to play in Zone A are Bayero University, Kano; Kogi State University, Anyigba, Abubarkar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; the University of Maiduguri, Borno State and the Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State.
In Zone B, teams that would contest for a place in the round of 16 are the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State; Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State; Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State; and the Benue State University, Markurdi, Benue State.
Hostilities in Zone C would be among teams from Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos; Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State; and the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. Others are the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State and Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.
In Zone D, lovers of collegiate sports will be treated to exciting games among teams from the University of Benin, Edo State; Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State; . Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State; Federal Univerity, Oye Ekiti and the Adekule Ajasin, University, Akungba, Ondo State.
Also, teams that will do battle in Zone E are University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State; Ignatius Ajuru University Of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; University of Nigeria, Nsuka; Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State and the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Akwa, Anambra State.
It would be recalled that Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, University of Calabar, Cross Rivers State and the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State played in the 2019 HiFL Super Four at the Agege Stadium in Lagos before the University of Calabar emerged as the winner.
