2019 HIFL Season ends as UAM Tillers set to defend title in Agege today

2018 defending champions, UAM Tillers, and runners up, UNICAL MALABITES are set to face off in the HiFL 2019 finals, after they both cruised past, OAU Giants and UNILORIN Warriors respectively, to book their place yet again in the highly anticipated finals of the 2019 Super Four, scheduled for today at the Agege township stadium in Lagos. 

Meanwhile, UNILORIN Warriors will play OAU Giants in the third place to complete the 2019 Higher Institutions Football League Super Four.

Activities making the end of the 2019 season begin with the Super 4 press conference held in Lagos yesterday

Director, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Sola Fijabi, said that all is in place for a successful hosting of the super four, in Lagos, “we are witnessing a reenactment of last year’s final and third-place matches and it is interesting, we are glad about the progress made and the expansion achieved through the season. 

The league has gained wider acceptance among higher institutions across the country and has been noted as a game-changer in higher institution sports in Nigeria, our expansion of participating teams to 32 and our all-impactful Coaching Clinic in Lagos were few of the highlights of the 2019 season for us” Fijabi said

 “We have reviewed the rules of the game in line with our experiences from last year and global trends in football and collegiate sports. We did this in conjunction with our partner, the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) and other technical partners. 

Our desire is to create a league that would be of pride to us as a company, the Nigerian universities and indeed our esteemed sponsors” we have set everything in motion for an awesome finale and we are set to usher in an even better 2020 league season” Fijabi Added.

In his remark, the President of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), Prof. Stephen Hamafyelto expressed that the 2019 edition of the higher institutions football league has been nothing but a grand success “At NUGA, we are committed to ensuring the sustainability of the league, the 2019 edition has been a grand success, we are pleased with the execution and we are committed to ensuring that our students and indeed sports-loving Nigerians continue to enjoy thrilling experiences across the match centers, this excitement will hope to make grander at the finals”

For the 2019 Higher Institutions Football League Season, the top 32 Universities from NUGA-member institutions played over a period of 21 weeks, with the final four billed for the Agege Stadium, Lagos, on the 26th of October 2019 with third place final kicking proceedings by 12 noon and the final match will follow by 3pm with small doctor On the band stand .

Meanwhile , As part of activities making the End of the season, the HIFL media partners defeated the organiser/sponsor's team in a novelty by three goals to one . The novelty set up the for what to expect in today's. It was full of excitement artistry display of skills and showmanship.

The curtain will drop on the 2019 season with the Awards night for those that have distinguished themselves all through the season.

The league is organised by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA). The league is sponsored by Stanbic IBTC, Indomie Nigeria and Premier Cool.

Toroza Terungwa penalty heroics sends Defending Champion UAM Tillers to the Final as Odey shootdown the Warriors from ilorin

2018 defending champions, UAM Tillers, and runners up, UNICAL MALABITES are set to face off in the HiFL 2019 finals, after they both cruised past, OAU Giants and UNILORIN warriors respectively, to book their place yet again in the highly anticipated finals of the 2019 Super Four. 

Toraza Terungwa, was the hero for the resurgent Tillers as he saved three straight penalties, to give his side a 3:0 shoot-out win in front of a roaring home crowd. OAU tillers were the first to score in the 46th minute as tough defender Faleti Ayo brilliantly headed home a cross, to put the Tillers under pressure. However, Tony Eliagwu rescued the home team with a 57th minute leveler, to send them through to level the scores on the day and also on aggregates.

Then it was onto penalties as both teams could not be seperated. It is the second time, the Tillers will qualify ahead of OAU Giants, after the Giants suffered similar fate in the 2018 semifinal stage. 

Elsewhere in Rumuolumeni, Rivers State, UNICAL Malabite’s Odey Santos scored twice in the 45th and 90th minute to send the Malabite’s into the finals after a 2:0 defeat against Unilorin Warriors in their Super Four decider.

UNILORIN Warriors will now play OAU Giants in the third place match while the Tillers and Malabites will lock horns in the finals to complete the 2019 Higher Institutions Football League Super Four. 

The games are scheduled for the 26th of October at the Agege township stadium in Lagos. 

The league is organised by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA).

The league is sponsored by Stanbic IBTC, Indomie Nigeria and Premier Cool. 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.

Nigeria Amputee team calls for Buhari’s intervention

The Nigeria Amputee football team, Special Eagles, currently in Angola for the Africa Amputee Football Cup of Nations, have called for the urgent fatherly intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari towards alleviating their poor condition into the tournament.

The Special Eagles landed, Benguela, venue of the competition, on Wednesday night to return to the competition after nine years of absence due to lack of funds. 

With only solidarity support from the Nigeria Football Federation which was not sufficient to foot their bill, the 15-man team of 10 players, 2 coaches, one back room staff and two officials travelled on the strength of flight tickets provided on credit by their travel agent.

Speaking on arrival in Angola, President of the federation, Alhaji Suleiman Isah, said while they are still expecting the ministry of sports to approve some support for them even while grappling with contending demands from other sports, it has become necessary to appeal for the intervention of the President of the country on the plight of the national amputee football team.

“It is tough for us but we needed to make this trip to keep hope alive for the amputees who have decided to counter their physical disability by engaging respectably in sports. They have been absent from the Africa Nations Cup for nine years because there was no funding support. It will devastate the boys badly if they missed this edition again.

“Unfortunately, the only support we got was from the NFF and it is not enough to cover the cost of flight tickets even as we dropped some players. We got tickets on credit just as we also procured jerseys, tracksuits, boots and other equipments on credit. Worse is that we don’t even have a dime to give to the players as allowances both at the competition and on return.

“We are hoping that the sports ministry will approve some aid for us but we are not certain. Under the circumstance, we wish to respectfully appeal to our deer President to intervene to bail us out even if only to provide for the flight ticket. His fatherly gesture will be a big boost for amputee sports and will also give hope and sense of belonging to our physically challenged persons who are seeking social inclusion through sports, instead of constituting burden to their families or nuisance to the public by begging. It is especially so as amputee football has developed into a professional sports with a number of Nigerians engaged in professional clubs overseas. We need to support the development of this platform in Nigeria to provide opportunities to more amputees. To deny them on this would mean neglect and rejection of this category of our fellow citizens.”

The Nigeria amputee football team will open their Nations Cup campaign against Liberia on Friday, October 4. Their subsequent fixtures are against Cameroon, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and host Angola on October 8.

With experience from the Mexico 2018 World Cup, the Special Eagles are rated as the strongest team in Africa to challenge for the trophy against Angola who are current world champions.

2019 HIFL SEMI FINAL: OAU Ambush UAM , as ESUT tends to explore UNIBEN WEAKNESS

2018 winners of the Higher Institutions football league, UAM Tillers and third placed team OAU Giants will reenact their 2018 semifinal fixture after they both qualified from the quarter final rounds. 

The game will be played at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University Sports Complex by 4 PM today.

The remaining four teams after weeks of actions

This game in Ile ife last year produced one of the stunning performances of the competition as OAU GIANTS came back twice to win by 5-3 in a 8 goals thriller to the delight of the fans and the neutrals.

UAM Tillers qualified for the semis by defeating BUK Stallions team 5:4 on penalties having played 1-1 on aggregate. 

OAU Giants qualified to the semifinals after defeating LASU Blazers  3-2 on Aggregate. 

In the Other semi final, UNIBEN Royals will square up against ESUT Explorers.

Uniben Royals Edged out last year UNILORIN Warriors,thus denying the warriors another shot at the final 4,a feat achieved by UNILORIN last season. 

 ESUT Explorers booked their place in the final 4 by defeating last year finalist ,the UNICAL Malabites over two legs.

The  return leg ties billed for October 9th,2019

The league is organised by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA).

 The top 32 Universities from NUGA-member institutions will play over a period of 21 weeks for the Agege Stadium, Lagos.

DOHA 2019: Okagbare,Oduduru and 23 others make AFN list as team Nigeria depart for World Athletics Championship this weekend

The AFN has selected a 25-member Nigerian team, consisting of Track and Field Athletes as well as Coaches to represent the country at the 2019 IAAF World Championships taking place in Doha, Qatar from the 27th of September to 6th of October, 2019.

The team comprises of the 100 Metre & 200 Metre NCAA double champion Divine Oduduru, all African Games Gold medallists Raymond Ekevwo, and the Queen of track and field Blessing Okagbare.

To compete for the Men’s 100 metre event are, Divine Oduduru, Raymond Ekevwo and Itsekiri Usheoritse while Emmanuel Arowolo as well as Divine Oduduru will represent the country in the Men’s 200m event.

Blessing Okagbare, is the country’s sole representative in the Women’s 100 and 200 metre events.

National champion, Patience George Okon and the just concluded Morocco All African Games Silver Medallist, Favour Ofili will represent the country in the Women’s 400m event.

African Games and Common Wealth Gold Medallist Tobiloba Amusan will feature in the Women’s 100mH while Rilwan Alowonle and Edose Ibadin will feature in the Men’s 400mH and 800m events respectively.

For Field events, African Games Gold Medallists Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Oyesade Olatoye will feature in the Men and Women’s Short-put events respectively while African Games Discus throw champion Chioma Onyekwere will feature in the Women’s Discus throw event.

Our outstanding Long Jumper and All African Games Gold Medallist Ese Brume will feature in the Women’s long jump event.

Representing the country at the Relays are Enoch Adegoke, Ogho-Oghene, Seye Ogunlewe, Divine Oduduru, Itsekiri Usheoritse, Arowolo Emmanuel as well as Raymond Ekevwo who will all participate in the Men's 4x100m while Rosemary Chukwuma, Bukola Jasper, Ntia-Obong Mercy, Joy Udo-Gabriel, and Blessing Ogundiran will represent the Women.

Representing at the 4x400m Female Relay is a team consisting of Patience George Okon, Favour Ofili, Blessing Oladoye, Abike Egbeniyi, and Blessing Ovwighoa-Jabre.

The Coaches team led by the AFN Technical Director, Sunday Omotayo Adeleye includes Gabriel Okon, Kayode Yaya, Ogunkoya Sean Micheal, Endurance Teye, Opuana Gabriel and Soetan Olalekan Stephen.

In conclusion, we the Athletics Federation of Nigeria AFN, will like to make of worthy note that the entire team has been selected based on the IAAF qualification standard and we are prepared to deliver on the set mandate. The team departs for Doha, Qatar on Sunday 22nd of September 2019. 

#IAAFDoha2019

NFF hunts for African opposition, after sealing Eagles/Brazil

 

The Nigeria Football Federation is working hard at sealing a match with an African team for the Super Eagles, after announcing on Monday night that the three –time African champions will play Brazil in a friendly in Singapore on Sunday 13^th October.

 

Nigeria and Brazil will tango in a much –anticipated encounter at the Singapore National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore on Sunday, 13^th October, 23 years after Nigeria, on their way to winning Africa’s first Olympic football gold, spanked the Selecao in the semi finals at the Athens Stadium in the State of Georgia, USA.

 

Efforts to match the two teams in a friendly match after that spectacular game came to nought for several years, until the organizers of the 8^th All-Africa Games that Nigeria hosted in 2003 flew the Brazilians to Abuja in June of that year. Brazil won 3-0.

 

There has been no competitive tie between both countries’ senior teams since that memorable U23 match in Georgia, and next month’s session will test the character of the African champions who are somewhat building a new team after a rash of retirements and injuries to key players.

 

That newbreed came close to shocking Ukraine in a friendly match in Dnipro a week ago, before bungling a two-goal lead to stalemate at 2-2.

 

“We are happy to have sealed this encounter with Brazil, the five-time champions of the world. It is not everyday that you get to Brazil, and I think it is very good for our young team.

 

“The Nigeria Football Federation must also commend Eurodata Sport, our FIFA –licensed Match Agent, for pulling this off. Having said that, the focus now is on getting an African team for the Super Eagles as a second match for the FIFA window in October, ahead of their 2021 AFCON qualifying matches in November,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said.

 

The Super Eagles have two 2021 AFCON qualifying dates in November. After hosting the Squirrels of Benin Republic on 14^th November, they will fly to Maseru for a Day Two encounter with the Crocodiles of Lesotho on 19^th November

CHAN EAGLES: Amapakabo names Omoyele, mfon ufoh, 18 others as NIgeria begins qualifying campaign against Togo on Sunday in lome

Coach Imama Amapakabo has named the 20 players who will fly Nigeria’s flag at Sunday’s African Nations Championship qualifying match against Togo in Lome.

 

First choice in goal Adamu Abubakar is joined by Super Eagles’ goaltender Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Enyimba’s Theophilus Afelokhai, as well as defenders Olisah Ndah, John Lazarus, Etboy Akpan and Ebube Duru.

 

There are also ace forward Ndifreke Effiong (who netted two of the five goals that condemned Sudan to the scrap heap in the final round of the U23 AFCON qualifying series), Mfon Udoh and Tosin Omoyele.

 

The delegation will fly out of Abuja on Friday to Lome, where they face the Sparrow Hawks at the Stade de Kegue as from 4pm on Sunday.

 

20 EAGLES B FOR TOGO

 

Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC); Adamu Abubakar (Wikki Tourists); Olisah Ndah (Remo Stars); Denis Okon (Akwa United); Stephen Manyo (Enyimba FC); John Lazarus (Lobi Stars); Etboy Akpan (Akwa United); Ebube Duru (Lobi Stars); Oluwadamilare Olatunji (Enyimba FC); Fatai Gbadamosi (Shooting Stars); Ndifreke Effiong (Akwa United); Seth Mayi (Remo Stars); William Ukeme (Wikki Tourists); Samuel Matthias (Akwa United); Chisom Orji (Collin Edwin Academy); Mfon Udoh (Akwa United); Reuben Bala (Enyimba FC); Tosin Omoyele (Plateau United); Sikiru Alimi (Lobi Stars); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC)