Draws for the round of 16 of the ongoing 2022 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) season hold tomorrow at Protea Hotel in Lagos.
Matches in the group stages which were completed penultimate week produced some new entrants into the Round of 16 including Ekiti State University and Kaduna State University.
“We have grouped the 16 teams into four pots; two for the Sahel and two for the Coastal,” explained Goodness Onyejiaku, the Chief Strategy Officer at Pace Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited. “We are mindful of proximity and have ensured that while we provide an opportunity for competitiveness, our athletes are not unduly stressed so that they can deliver spectacular contests when they play their games.
“Of course, our sponsors StanbicIBTC, Bold, and LIRS have always backed us and we are proud of the partnership that we share,” he added.
Meanwhile, there is the possibility of two former champions clashing at this stage after UAM Tillers and UNIMAID Warriors were drawn into the Sahel zone.
Other powerhouses in the league including DELSU Titans, UNIPORT Sharks and UNILORIN Warriors are also hopeful of getting favourable draws that will catapult them into the quarter-finals.
Other teams in the round of 16 are last year’s Super Four finalists AAUA Luminaries and UNN Lions, ATBU Bravehearts, BUK Stallions, FUOYE Dazzlers and the IAUE Minders as well as KSU Steelers and FUTMinna Transformers
“At this stage of the competition, the pitches get more heated as teams jostle to get to the quarter-finals,” Emeka Ogbu, President of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) noted. “Looking at the pedigree of these teams, we are expecting a very close contest.”
Since its inception, three teams have won the HiFL league. UAM Tillers in 2018, UNICAL Malabites in 2019 and UNIMAID Desert Warriors in 2021.