2018 winners of the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL), UAM Tillers and third-placed team OAU Giants will reenact their 2018 semifinal fixture after they both qualified from the quarter-final rounds.
UAM Tillers qualified narrowly at home, as they laboured to defeat a defiant BUK Stallions team 5-4 on penalties without prolific Kano Pillars striker Ebuka Odenigbo after the tie ended one-all on aggregate.
The Stallions from Kano were the better side as they dominated the UAM Tillers for the most part of the game.
In the 73rd minute, Abduljani Tijani, with Jersey Number 7, put the visitors ahead to the disappointment of the home fans, however, the boisterous Tillers fans had the last laugh after the spot-kick agony for the Stallions.
OAU Giants qualified to the semifinals despite losing 1-2 to LASU Blazers in Lagos.
The Giants defeated the Blazers 2-0 in Ife in the first leg of the semi-finals and will face UAM Tillers in the HiFL 2019 semifinals.
In Ilorin, UNIBEN Royals advanced to the semi-finals despite losing 1-2 to 2018 fourth-placed team, UNILORIN Warriors.
The Royals met with tough opposition in Ilorin as the warriors gave their all to make it to Lagos a second time but to no avail.
Muhammed Ahmad scored twice to boost the Warriors’ hope but his effort was cancelled out by 2019 season leading marksman Prosper Edewhor who got on the score-sheet in 22nd minute for the timid Royals.
UNIBEN Royals will now play ESUT Explorers who qualified over last season’s runners up UNICAL Malabites in Enugu.
The 2019 first leg Semifinal fixture is scheduled for the 25th of September, with the return leg ties billed for October 9th.
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.
