BUK coach sure of beating UNIMAID Desert Warriors in round of 16

Coach Ibrahim Salisu Ibrahim of the BUK Stallions of Kano has promised to halt UNIMAID Desert Warriors’ bid to retain the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) title they won in 2021.  

HiFL, organised by Pace Sports and supported by StanbicIBTC, Bold, Lagos Internal Revenue Services and Indomie Noodles, is in its fourth active season.  

Coach Salisu, yesterday, said it is now the turn of his team to savour the taste of glory by winning the 2022 HiFL after four years of participation.  

The first leg of the game between both sides will hold today at the University of Maiduguri Sports Complex.  

Despite playing the first leg away, Coach Salisu remains confident.

“We are not worried that they (UNIMAID Desert Warriors) are the defending champions. We are looking forward to changing the mentality, we are not afraid of the UNIMAID Desert Warriors of Maiduguri,” he said.  

Reacting to Coach Salisu’s boasts, Coach Paul Ciroma of the Desert Warriors said his side is unperturbed about the games with BUK, a familiar underdog.  

“BUK are no strangers to us, we played them twice last season during the group stage and the knockout stages and we won the duels. We are looking forward to doing the same thing this time around.

“UNIMAID Desert Warriors are the defending champions. We are preparing and would be ready for BUK Stallions,” he said.  

Last season, UNIMAID Desert Warriors secured a 5-3 aggregate win over BUK Stallions in the round of 16 on their way to winning the trophy in a gruelling duel with the AAUA Luminaries from the Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex in Lagos.  

In other fixtures for this week, 2021 finalists, AAUA Luminaries, will tackle LASU Blazers in Akungba, FUTMinna Transformers will host KSU Steelers from Kogi State University, while UNN Lions will entertain UNIPORT Sharks in Enugu.