2019 HIFL: UNICAL Emerge Winner, Defeats UAM In Revenge

L-R ; Chief Financial Officer, Vista International, Binod Mohapatra; Head Marketing, PZ Cussons Nigeria, Charles Nnochiri; Chairman, Higher Institutions Sports League (HiSL), Remi Ogunpitan; CEO, Higher Institutions Sports League (HiSL) Sola Fijabi; President Nigerian University Games Association, (NUGA), Prof. Stephen Hamafyelto; Team Captain, UNICAL Malabites, Ikponwosa Osarumen; Board Member, Higher Institutions Sports League (HiSL ) Kachi Onubogu; Executive Director, Media Investment, Media Reach OMD, Yinka Adebayo and Head Global Markets, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Sam Ocheho after the 2019 Higher Institutions Football League Finals at the Agege Stadium Lagos…Saturday.

By LOVETH AZODO, Lagos

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has revenged their lost to UAM (University of Agriculture Makurdi) in the 2018 Higher Institutions Football League (HIFL), emerging winner of the 2019 football game.

The HIFL finals which was played Saturday in Lagos ended in penalty knock out after a 90minutes struggle between UNICAL (Malabites) with 5 goals and UAM(Tillers) with 3goals.

After a tough 90mins kick by the University of Agriculture, Markudi (UAM) Tillers and its opponent, University of Calabar (UNICAL) Malabites in the 2018 Standbic IBTC sponsored Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) finals, the UAM tillers won the Hifl cup, defeating their opponent 5-4 on penalties to emerge champion of the 2018 Htfl.

The two team came out with great performance in the first half of the game until the UAM Captain Sharter Asane scored a goal early in the game which placed his team in a leading state. UAM was in charge of the game until Anikogun Dulimon got his second yellow card which resulted to a red card thereby keeping the team one man down, however, UAM were able to hold the 1-0 lead till the end of the first half.

Ngaji mojafu of UNICAL who took advantage of its opponent’s one man down, scored an equalizing goal putting the match at 1-1 draw.
With the equalizing goal, the Melabites continued to mount pressure on the Tillers and had many chances of winning the game but was unable to, which resulted to a penalty knock out where the Melabites beat the Tillers with 5goals to 3goals.

It would be recalled that at the maiden edition of the league, 2018, the UAM Tillers played the Malabites in the finals, defeating the Melabites 5-4 on penalty knock out to emerge champion of the 2018 HIFL.

HIFL is a football tournament sponsored by Stanbic IBTC, Indomie and Premier Cool to give support to Nigerian youths through the higher institutions football league

It is glaring that the football league has been a measure of talent hunt after the UAM player and 2018 HIFL highest goal scorer, Ebuka Odenegu was signed by Enyimba FC made it to the Nigeria premier league.