Federal University Oye-Ekiti Clinches Silver Medal At The 2022 HIFL Competition

The Federal University Oye-Ekiti team won the silver medal in the just concluded Higher Institutions Football League (HIFL) competition. The match was played between the Federal University Oye-Ekiti team, also known as the FUOYE Dazzlers, and the Kogi state university team nicknamed KSU Steelers. The football match venue was the YABATECH polytechnic sports field, which saw massive attendance by fans and football enthusiasts. It was a game filled with thrills and action ranging from cheers from the fans to the players’ blockbuster football action and tact.

The match lived up to expectations as the fans were greeted with immediate action from the first minute as the FUOYE Dazzlers were awarded a penalty due to an infringement on their player by an opponent in the opponent’s box. Kolawole Dolapo, the captain of the FUOYE Dazzlers, wasted no time slotting in the penalty to earn the team’s only goal in the match.

The excitement in the FUOYE Dazzlers camp was short-lived, however, as parity was restored when they conceded in the second minute after a free kick was sent into their box and was played into the net by Odutola Samuel Ayo. The first half ended with a 1 – 1 scoreline.

In the second half, the KSU Steelers capitalised on an injury situation of a FUOYE Dazzlers player and had their second goal scored by their skipper, Suleiman Mohamed, in the sixty-fifth minute. In the eightieth minute, the Kogi state university sealed their victory with a third goal which was scored by Anuba Goodluck.

The HIFL was founded by PACE sport and entertainment marketing limited in 2017 and launched in 2018. This year’s edition of the competition began on the 21st of June and saw thirty-eight university teams compete for the trophy.

Speaking to our reporter after the match, the Dean of Student Affairs of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Professor Dosu Malomo, said: “I want to congratulate our students and if I am quoting my Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fashina, on whose approval I am here to represent. He said that first or second position he is going to celebrate the team because they have been gallant, they moved from nowhere to somewhere, well it is a game, football is a game and even the best teams in the world sometimes lose with colossal margins, but I am happy to say that we are on the world map of football because this competition is being aired live on some multichoice stations all over the world and it has placed our university on a high pedestal.”

The Coach of the KSU Steelers described the match as a good match.

“We thank God for everything, it was a good match, and I am happy that my boys won. The biggest obstacle I faced was in the semi-final match against the Unilorin team. It was a very tough match because they have good records against us because they defeated us three times before the semifinal encounter.”

Blessing Ayodeji, the Coach of the FUOYE Dazzlers speaking to our reporter, said: “The experience has been wonderful most especially for the young talents having given them the opportunity to showcase their talent in such a prestigious competition it is such an honour and on this platform, they have been shown to the world.”

Kolawole Dolapo, the Captain of the FUOYE Dazzlers, thanked the school authorities for their support of the team’s preparation and welfare throughout the competition. He said: “This competition has been a big competition helping us to expose and improve our talent, and it is also an avenue to thank the school authority for their intense support. I want to apologize to the management and the student populace for not clinching the top spot, but we hope for a better result in the next edition of this competition. We would work harder and make sure we fight for the gold medal.”

Suleiman Mohammed was awarded the man of the match for his commanding performance in the match.