HIFL®: 16 Teams Qualify For HIFL Knock Out Stage

From L-R: Mr. Usman Gambo; Savings Champion Stanbic IBTC Bank Kano Region presenting the Man of the Match award to  Silas Aondover of BSU Weavers during the Higher Institutions Football League Match between BSU Weavers and BUK Stallions at the Ahamudu  Adamu Mu'azu Mini Stadium Kano…Thursday.

...AS OAU GIANTS AND UI PIONEERS SOUTH-WESTERN DERBY HEADLINE THE FIXTURES

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 2019 season on Thursday, 18^th 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 go through to 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 stage, 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 24^th 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). The league 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.