HiFL UNVEILS JERSEY AND CONDUCTS DRAWS

The Higher Institution Football league (HIFL) is another attempt at establishing a collegiate football league so says Alhaji Shuaibu Gara- Gombe, HiFL Technical adviser.  The project entered a critical stage as PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Ltd, promoters of the maiden HIFL and her partners held the jersey unveiling and draws for the competition in Lagos.

In the draws conducted by the Pace’s  head of Marketing and strategy and witnessed by the sponsors, football administrators, the press and many sports enthusiasts at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, the league’s pioneering 16 institutions were paired into four zones; Sahel A, Sahel B, Coastal A, and Coastal B had 4 universities in each zone. The matches are to be played as reversed fixtures with a 2 weeks interval.

In first match of the Sahel A to be held on the 1st of August 2018, BUK Stallions of  Bayero University, Kano playing home will meet UDU Sultans of Usman Danfodio University , while Unilorin Warriors and ABU Nobles will fight it out in the other game.

Sahel B will see Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Brave hearts meeting Unijos Highlanders, while UNIMAID Desert Warriors will face UAM Tillers of University of Agriculture Makurdi Tillers in the other game.

In the first week all eye will be on coastal A zone as the star match between  UNILAG Marines and UNIBEN Royals will be a sure cracker, with UI Pioneers taking on OAU Giants.

The four games in Coastal B pitched UNN Lions against UNICAL Malabites and UNIPORT Sharks against DELSU Titans.

Speaking during the draw, former board member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Shaibu Gara Gombe said the competition would herald a new dawn in university games and also improve on the game of football in the country.

“Despite the challenges we are facing in the country especially in our football, something good must come out of it and that’s the HiFL,” Gara-Gombe said.

“I have to say a big thank you to the management of NUGA and Nigeria University Commission, for buying into our idea of having a league among universities in the country.

“This is an experimental league with 16 teams and by next year, we are going to expand it with zonal qualifications involving more schools in the country.”

According to the former Gombe State FA chairman, they have put all machineries in place to have a successful league championship.

The first legs of the games have been scheduled for August 1 and 8, while the second legs will take place on August 15 and 22 across the two zones, Sahel and Coastal.

List of Teams and Name

1. University of lagos – Unilag Marines.
2. University of Ibadan- UI Pioneers.
3. University of Benin- Uniben Royals.
4. Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- ife – OAUGaints
5. Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto – UDU Sulatans.
6. Univeristy of Illorin- Ilorin Warriors
7. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – ABU Nobles
8. Bayero University, Kano – BUK Stallions.
9. Abubakar Tafawa Belewa University – ATBU Braveheart.
10. University of Jos – Unijos highlanders
11. University of Agriculture, Makurdi – UAM Tillers
12. University of Maiduguri – Unimaid Desert-Warriors.
13. University of Port-Harcourt – Uniport Sharks.
14. University of Calabar – Unical Malabites
15. University of Nigeria, Nsukka – UNNLions
16. Delta state University – Delsu Titans