The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Heartland FC

  • Lawal nicks second Imo SWAN Heartland FC Player of the Month Award

    Lawal nicks second Imo SWAN Heartland FC Player of the Month Award

    Heartland  attacker, Surajudeen Lawal, has secured his second Imo SWAN-Heartland  Player of the Month award after he was named the winner for February in  a keenly contested affair.

    The versatile attacker was the overwhelming choice as voted by members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Imo Chapter and he becomes the sixth winner of the prestigious award after he polled the highest number of votes to beat new signings, Terdoo Shimagande and John Bassey.

    Others he beat to the award includes Emmanuel Charles, Christian Molokwu, Chukwuma Agor, Bobo Chibuike and Kelvin Ogunga who all emerged as the Man of the Match in each of the eight games Heartland FC played in the month of February.

    The games played last month were against Rivers United, Katsina United, Shooting Stars, Dom Daniels, Amanda FC, OISA FC, Niger Tornadoes and El Kanemi Warriors and the shortlisted players were picked as the most outstanding of the games.

    Read Also: Elegbeleye backs Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo

    Lawal also won this accolade in November last year scored four goals in February and also had an assist in the six games he played in February in all competitions. He won the Man of the Match against Dom Daniels FC and OISA FC respectively, with two goals apiece in both games which steered Heartland to their first FA Cup triumph in three years. He also assisted the goal scored by Chukwuma Agor against Shooting Stars in the League.

    Lawal will be presented with the award plague and a token prize money courtesy of an anonymous sponsor on Sunday shortly before the start of Heartland versus Bayelsa United game at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.

    He will be the first player to benefit from the prize money that will now be a routine until the end of the season.

    It would be recalled that Peters Afolayan (September), Ebuka Nwokoecha (October), Surajudeen Lawal (November), Christian Molokwu (December) and Anthony Omaka (January, 2025) were previous winners of the award.

    Imo SWAN Heartland FC Player of the Month Award is solely organised by Cosmos Chukwuemeka led Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Imo Chapter with the support of an anonymous sponsor and it is with the aim of rewarding the most outstanding Heartland FC player every month until the end of the season when the Imo SWAN Heartland FC Player of the Season would be unveiled.

    The Association is still open to more sponsorship from individual and corporate organisations within and outside the Imo State  to ensure the award experience a rebirth with the potential sponsor(s) getting the value for their investments.

  • Heartland’s Ori out for two weeks after surgery

    Heartland’s Ori out for two weeks after surgery

    Heartland FC midfielder, Elvis Ori has undergone successful facial surgery and will be out of action for about two weeks.

    Ori sustained the injury on Sunday in the Naze Millionaires’ 1-1 home draw against Bendel Insurance and had to be replaced immediately.

    Read Also: NPFL: Arch rivals Rangers, Shooting Stars lock horns in Enugu

    He has been one of the standout performers for the Owerri side in his second journey to the club having left briefly last season to team up with Bayelsa United in the second round of the 2023-24 season.

    Chief coach of Heartland FC, Charles Uzor said Ori’s surgery sent well and will soon start his rehabilitation.

    “The surgery went well and the player is in high spirits as a result of the prompt response from the team’s eggheads led by the Technical Manager, Emmanuel Amuneke,” Uzor told Heartland FC Media.

  • Heartland’s Mgbemena, Nkwo get CHAN Eagles call ups

    Heartland’s Mgbemena, Nkwo get CHAN Eagles call ups

    Heartland FC duo of Christian Nkwo and Ikechukwu Mgbemena have received invitation to be part of the Super Eagles B team that is preparing for the African Nations Championship qualifiers against Ghana in December.

    The home-based Eagles, otherwise called CHAN Eagles, commenced preparations for the qualifiers last week but the two Heartland’s players will join up with their teammates in the national team this week to see if they can warm their way into the hearts of the coaches led by Austin Eguavoen.

    Read Also: Alex Iwobi: I’m more than a footballer

    Heartland in a post on their X account expressed delight at the invitation of the two players and has charged them to be good ambassadors of the club.

    “We are thrilled with the invitation of our two players to the CHAN Eagles camp. We pray they will be able to measure up to standard and come back and help reshape the team,” the wrote on X.

    Both players were involved in Sunday’s 2-0 away win at Abia Warriors and are expected to hit camp as from today.

  • Heartland will get better , says Amuneke

    Heartland will get better , says Amuneke

    Heartland FC head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has affirmed that the Naze Millionaires would get better very soon despite losing their third game of the season in Ibadan to Shooting Stars last weekend.

    The Owerri side fell to the strike of Samuel Ayanrinde in the 21st  minute of the game in Ibadan but Amuneke thumbed up the performance of his boys whom he said dictated the rhythm of the game in the second half and got chances to get at least a draw.

    “It was very intensive and good game and we expected it because both teams are going into some sort of transformation,” Amuneke told journalists.

    “Unfortunately we conceded the goal at the point we lost concentration. But in the second half, we controlled the game and we tried to mount pressure on our opponent. We couldn’t take our chances unfortunately. Generally it was a good game for both teams.

    “The changes were effective because our left back was having some challenges and we just have to bring him out to stabilise the defence.”

    Read Also: NFF names Eguavoen as caretaker coach for Super Eagles

    Amuneke outlined that the Owerri side are undergoing a rebuilding process and that very soon positive results will start coming.

    “Heartland is an historical team and over the years a lot has happened. We came in trying to stabilise the team and trying to see how we can bring different ideas,” he further said.

    “We also have to know that Rome was not built in a day. This is what we are trying to do to establish that confidence that people can believe in their team and hopefully the team will pick up.”

  • Heartland FC coach, Obi, dead, players injured in auto crash

    Heartland FC coach, Obi, dead, players injured in auto crash

    Coach Christian Obi of Heartland FC of Owerri is dead.

    The club’s Media Officer, Tunde Liadi, confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Owerri and made available to newsmen on Saturday.

    Liadi stated that the accident occurred at Okwelle in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo at about 4pm on Friday.

    He explained that the accident happened when their Coaster bus collided with a stationary truck, while trying to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle.

    He added that there were at least 20 members of the team in the bus and that some players sustained various degrees of injuries.

    He further stated that the team were on their way for the TICO/SELECT Ifeanyi Ekwueme Preseason Tournament taking place in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, when the accident happened.

    According to Liadi, the driver tried his best to avert the accident but the impact of the collision caused a sudden shock to the coach.

    He further stated that he was unconscious, with a slight injury on his right leg, when he was taken out of the badly damaged bus.

    He added that Obi and other injured players were immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital for medical treatment.

    He regretted that the highly respected coach later passed on, while the medical team were making frantic effort to resuscitate him.

    “The heart breaking day saw the Heartland FC team departing the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri for the pre-season tournament with enthusiasm at around 3:30pm in three vehicles.

    “At about some minutes past 4pm, one of the vehicles rammed into a carelessly parked truck, while attempting to avoid an oncoming vehicle.

    “Words alone cannot fully capture how the news of his death has thrown everyone at the club into deep mourning because of how precious he was to the club.

    “His name would continue to remain etched in the history of the club, following the club’s unbeaten run in the Nigeria National League throughout the 2022-23 season, a feat that culminated in the club winning the League Super 8 in Asaba, Delta State,“ Liadi added.

    He, however, said that while the club appreciates the concerns from football enthusiasts over the unfortunate incident, it would prefer that its privacy and that of the bereaved family be respected during the period of grief.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obi‘s remains have since been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, (FUTH), Owerri morgue, while the injured players were referred to the same hospital for proper medical care.

    (NAN)

  • Rohr calls for more grass pitch stadiums for NPFL matches

    Super Eagles’ coach Gernot Rohr on Sunday in Lagos expressed his preference for Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matches to be played more on grass pitch stadiums.

    Rohr spoke with the News men after the NPFL Match Day 12 fixture between Lagos-based MFM FC and Heartland FC of Owerri at Agege Stadium.

    The coach said while he was impressed with the standard of the league he believed it would be improved more if games were played on grass as against synthetic pitches.

    “I am here to see MFM FC play once again after the CAF Champions League fixture which they won. I am also here to see the other team, Heartland FC.

    “What I also noticed is that the league is being played on synthetic pitches. That is old-fashioned because the sun is not favourable playing on such turf.

    “Synthetic pitches are hot during the sun and it is not the best for the players,’’ he said.

    Rohr said he would like to see other players outside the ones he had shortlisted for the upcoming Super Eagles’ matches, so as to see their level of commitment and play.

    Read Also: NIGERIA’S WORLD CUP SQUAD: Everyone must fight for a shirt – Rohr

    “I am not here to see those players on my list, but discovering more players and to see the level of the league, which is better for me.

    “I want to see those that are doing better and to discover other teams. This is where I can watch the team play because there are no NPFL clubs playing in Abuja.

    “The level of the league is interesting and I must commend the teams for their good spirit, though none of the players are in my list,’’ he said.

    The news men reports, MFM FC had defeated Heartland FC 3-0, with goals from Stanley Okorom (8th minute), Chuka Uwaga (88th minute) and Tchato Giscard (92nd minute).

    NAN

  • Bosso hails LMC over Emeteole’s intervention

    Bosso hails LMC over Emeteole’s intervention

    The President of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Isa Ladan Bosso has applauded the League Management Company (LMC) for its timely intervention on coach Kelechi Emeteole’s illness.

    Emeteole is in need of help to raise 11, 000 dollars to carry out an operation in India for Cancer of the throat.

    It is understood that Emeteole is being owed by El Kanemi Warriors and Heartland FC when he was in charge of the clubs as head coach.

    But LMC in its kind gesture paid up the money to Emeteole with intention to remove the money from the funds the league body is expected to give to the indebted clubs.

    In a telephone conversation with SportingLife, Bosso, said the LMC intervention will encourage Nigeria coaches to do more for the country while he urged his colleagues to plan for their future.

    The former Flying Eagles handler, therefore, pleaded with LMC to also do something for the former Super Eagles’ coach, Paul  Hamilton who is down with sickness too.

    “I am in contact with coach Emeteole’s wife for update on his health. On behalf of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association I want to thank LMC leadership for their kind gesture. Their quick intervention is a welcome development and I believe it will serve as a morale booster to other coaches to do more. Like Oliver Twist, we want to plead on behalf of coach Hamilton so that he can be assisted too. He is in need of help from everybody for his sickness.

    “I think it is very important for us (coaches) to save for the raining days. We have to plan for our future. By the grace of God I will visit coach Emeteole on Friday while I will go to Lagos next week to visit coach Hamilton,” Bosso said to SportingLife.

  • Heartland Coach Deutsch unveils plan for new season

    Heartland Coach Deutsch unveils plan for new season

    Heartland FC head coach Emmanuel Deutsch has announced his pre-season plans for the Owerri’s based side.
    The Cameroonian was unveiled at the club’s secretariat on Wednesday and the new gaffer quickly sets out his programme for the team. 
    According to the release made available to SportingLife, camp opens for old and intending players on Tuesday, 29th November 2016 at 7am while urging players to arrive early as the doors would be shut on any player who arrives after the coach might have arrive in the camp.
    Deutsch added that the screening exercise for intending players commences by 8am the same day at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
    unveil-2
    “All players would be free to go for Christmas and the New Year celebration on the 23rd of December. Players who leave camp before the stated date could risk his place in the team or face stiff sanctions from the head coach. Every player is expected to be back from their Christmas breaks on Tuesday, 3rd January 2017 and any player who fails to arrive in camp at the stated date could risk their place in the team or face stiff sanctions from the head coach,” Deutsch said.
    He added: “No dates were released for the pre-season warm-up games and pre-season camp venue is yet to be decided, but camping period and the friendly matches will take place immediately after the screening exercise till the Christmas break.”
    Deutsch has however calls for discipline from both current and the intending players.

  • Results of local league matches

    The following are the results of Match Day 7 fixtures in the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), played on Sunday and Saturday:

    Ikorodu United FC 1-2 Giwa FC

    El-Kanemi Warriors FC 2-1 FC IfeanyiUbah

    Heartland FC 1-0 MFM FC

    Plateau United 2-1 Lobi Stars

    Rangers International FC 3-0 Akwa United

    Wikki Tourists 2-1 Niger Tornadoes

    Shooting Stars FC 1-0 Rivers United(NAN)

  • Oni’s late goal sinks Shooting Stars

    Oni’s late goal sinks Shooting Stars

    A late goal from Jimoh Oni ensured that Heartland FC defeated Shooting Stars 2-1 in a Nigeria Professional Football League week two match at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Saturday.

    Fifteen minutes into the encounter, Yinka Adedeji almost gifted Heartland a goal. But the defence was able to clear.

    Two minutes later, the Naze Millionaires were in front. A superb free kick from Odiche Ebere beat Kola Ige.

    The hosts came out of their shells and searched for a much needed equalizer.

    Heartland defended in numbers as the first stanza gathered momentum.

    Taofeek Adepoju missed a gilt-edged chance that should have put Shooting Stars level in the 44th minute.

    The second half resumed with the Oluyole Warriors taking the game to the visiting team.

    And they were back in the match twenty minutes into the second half. Adepoju put them on level terms.

    With the Ibadan fans thinking their darling team would get a second goal, Heartland silenced them through Jimoh Oni four minutes from time.

    A last ditch effort from Meshack Chukwubuikem to score for the hosts was futile.