The Elite Eleven Players for the 2021 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) have emerged. At HiFL Elite Awards held in Lagos, the league organisers unveiled the players with two-time former African Footballer of the Year, Kanu Nwankwo in attendance. 

Top on the list of the players is Suleiman Ali Saleh of the UNIMAID Desert Warriors. Saleh is both the HiFL Elite Player of the Year and the Highest Goal Scorer for the season. Saleh is supported in the attack by Oche Francis also of the Desert Warriors and Omotayo Adekinmoye of AAUA Luminaries whose goal in the group stage got the HiFL Elite Goal of the Year.  Isaac Phillip of the Luminaries who won the HiFL Elite Goalkeeper of the Year is in goal while Emeka Alex and Anichebe Elvis both of the UNN Lions, Oche David of the Desert Warriors, Oluwabukunmi Akinwale of the Luminaries and Ndah Noble of FUTMinna Transformers completed the defence line.   

The mid-field has Abdul-Khalil Nurudeen of the Luminaries and Usman Abubakar Sani of Desert Warriors in a 3-4-3 formation. HiFL Elite Coach of the Year Coach Dauda ‘Ziko’ Daniel, is the coach of the Elite eleven. 

Related News

In other categories, the University of Ilorin won the HiFL Elite Host of the Year, Lagos State University got the Dr Nick Igbokwe Fair Play Trophy while Mr Remi Ogunpitan won the HiFL Platinum Award for his contributions as the pioneer chairman of HiFL. 

In his address, the Chairman of the HiFL Board, Dr Onyekachi Onubogu thanked the sponsors and partners which include the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA), Nivea Men, StanbicIBTC, Bold and Minimie and the participating schools for their commitment and sportsmanship throughout the 2021 season.