Former Champions, UAM Tillers are now ousted from the 2022 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) after losing out on a 3-2aggregate over two legs in the round of 16.
The HiFL, in its fourth active season, is organized by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing is supported by StanbicIBTC, Bold, LIRS and Indomie.
UAM Tillers were held to a 2-2 draw by the NUGA defending champions, Unilorin Warriors in a keenly contested game. It would be recalled that the Tillers lost 1 -0 in the first leg at Markurdi.
Assistant coach of the Unilorin Warriors, Abdulraheem Abdulhafiz, expressed satisfaction with the performance of his team, praising the school management for their immense support.
Our boys are determined to go all out to defeat every opponent and our major goal this season is to go for goals and win the trophy,” he said.“We are unrelenting in our efforts and will continue to bring in the spirit of the NUGA games to the HiFL and the spirit is high.”
In a energy sapping encounter, John Aogo of the Tillers had put the visitors in the lead in the 16th minute before Unite Amadu increased the lead in the s 39th minute. However, the Warriors through Mujib Jamiu in the 47th minute and Ogunbenro Mustapha in the 62nd minute.
But Tillers’goalkeeper Jacob Tergema received the Stanbic IBTC Man of the Match (MOTM) for his heroics against the ever pressing strikers of the Warriors.
In other games, ATBU Bravehearts of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University lost at home to KASU Crocs from Kaduna State University by 2-3. But the Bravehearts qualified 4-3 on aggregate following their 2-0 first leg win in Kaduna.
Meanwhile, Rivers State-based Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) Minders also crashed out of the HiFL after a 4-2 loss on penalties to DELSU Titans in Port Harcourt after both teams were levelled on aggregateover the two legs.