UAM Tillers, UNICAL Malabites Reenact 2019 Final
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 places yet again in the highly anticipated final 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 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 separated. It was the second time, the Tillers will qualify ahead of OAU Giants, after the Ile Ife team 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 Calabar team 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 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 play over a period of 21 weeks, with the final four played at the Agege Stadium, Lagos.