HiFL 2021: UNILAG Marines, UNN Lions Fight for Super Four Ticket

The first leg of quarter-final matches in the ongoing Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) will today go ahead across four centres.

In Lagos, the UNILAG Marines will attempt to put themselves in a vantage position as they tackle the AAUA Luminaries going into the second leg.

The Marine Boys led by Coach Ogunsemore qualified to this stage by defeating the FUTA Tigers on a 3-0 goals aggregate. The Luminaries defeated 2019 semi-finalist OAU Giants on away goals rule drawing 1-1 in Ile-Ife.

UNN Lions have an uphill task against the UNIBEN Royals when both teams square up in Enugu.

The Royals has shown their determination from the beginning of the season as they ended up as one of the highest goal-scoring teams in the tournament. The Royals also ousted defending champion UNICAL Malabites on 4-3 on aggregate.

Speaking ahead of the match, Coach of the UNN Lions Ike Chijoke said the Lions will not be deterred by the pedigree of the Benin boys as the team is focused on qualifying for the next stage.

“We have prepared very well. We know that the UNIBEN team is good but in soccer, it is a game of 11 men playing on both sides. We are working on our areas of deficiencies and we assure our fans that we will do our best to qualify for the next stage”.

In other matches, the winners of the inaugural edition of the HiFL, UAM Tillers will play UNIMAID Desert Warriors in Makurdi while UNILORIN Warriors tackle FUTMinna Transformers in Ilorin.

The Tillers defeated ABU Nobles 4-2 over two legs in the round of 16 while the Desert Warriors also won 5-3 on aggregate against the BUK Stallions.

HiFL is organized by Pace Sports and the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA).

The Collegiate football tournament has as sponsors brands like StanbicIBTC, Nivea Men, Bold, Minimie and several others.