The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Heartland FC

  • Okorocha charges Heartland to reclaim lost glory

    Okorocha charges Heartland to reclaim lost glory

    GOV. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Sunday tasked Heartland FC of Owerri to put in more efforts this season to reclaim its lost glory.

    Okorocha gave the charge at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri during an interactive section with reporters journalists after the club 1-1 drew with Dolphins FC of Port-Harcourt. He said the draw was a good beginning for the club but that three points would have placed them in a greater advantage.

    “This is a home match and the first game of the season. I expected noting less than winning the game but since it ended that way, they have to put in more efforts in subsequent games.”

    The governor urged the technical crew not to relent but to strive harder in making the state proud.

    The Chief Coach of the club, Ramson Madu, said the players were wonderful on the pitch but were unlucky not to have won the game.

    Madu observed that Heartland lost many chances that would have given them victory, assuring that more efforts would be made in subsequent matches. He commended the referees, stating that the game was balanced.

    A Heartland supporter, Jude Ibe, who expressed dissatisfaction over the draw, said that the players should have won the match with all the incentives given to them by the State Government.

    The Media Officer of the club, Cajethan Nkwopara, urged supporters to remain optimistic about the club. Nkwopara said that some of the players were new to the club and that they needed little time to adapt.

  • Heartland FC Gaffer heads to the altar

    Heartland FC Gaffer heads to the altar

    Heartland FC players and officials have a merry date to keep on December 30th, 2013, as head Coach, Ramson Madu takes, former Miss Chioma Ojukwu, from Nnewi, Anambra State to the alter.

    The event scheduled to hold at the St. John’s Anglican Church, World Bank Area N, Owerri, Imo State is the high point of a successful romance story that was hatched years back in the then Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC camp.

    According to reports, the couple met each other while Madu was still playing football for the Naze millionaires some years back and the love blossomed until the two decided to seal the union in marriage.

    Former team mate and one-time captain of Super Eagles, Sunny Ikwuagwu who was among those that witnessed the earlier years of the union, will lead other ex-players to the grand occasion.

    ‘Our love is pure and true,’ the couple wrote as toast on their invitation card.

    Heartland FC spokesman, Cajetan Nkwopara said the club had sent a message of goodwill to the couple ahead of their wedding and also plans to celebrate the event to the fullest.

    “We’re very happy at the news. There are many healthy love stories that originated here and many of them ended successfully. The Madu family is well known to us and the Chairman, Chief Fan Ndubuoke has sent the club’s best wishes to them,” he said.

  • Heartland commence pre-season activities

    Heartland commence pre-season activities

    Heartland FC of Owerri said their off season period will be officially over by 12 midnight today, November 12, 2013 and that preparations for the 2013/14 football season will be on full swing at the Old stadium ground, Owerri the following morning.

    A statement from the club’s Media and Public Relations Department on Sunday, said the management team had held a meeting over the weekend during which time it approved a programme submitted by the technical crew led by Coach Ramson Madu.

    According to the statement, trial of new players will commence at the Old Stadium ground, Tetlow Road by 7.30 tomorrow morning and will run through to the coming weekend.

    However, the main camp at Naze would be opened on Friday November 15, 2013 to welcome old players of the team who had been on holidays since the end of last season on October 20, 2013.

    The statement explained that old players of the team who failed to return by Monday November 18, 2013 would be deemed to have left the club.

    The meeting which was presided over by club Chairman, Chief Fan Ndubuoke however reminded that the club as a policy does not accept inducement of any kind nor does it succumb to intimidation and favouritism in recruitment of players.

    Meanwhile, Heartland FC said they have not engaged any new technical adviser whether local or foreign as being speculated in some media.

  • Heartland FC’s board apologise to Imo governor

    Heartland FC’s board apologise to Imo governor

     •Over players’ unscheduled visit to Govt. House

    The management of Heartland FC of Owerri has apologised to the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha over the unscheduled visit made by players of the club to the Government House in Owerri on Monday.

    Club Chairman, Fan Ndubuoke in a statement last night, said the action of the players who besieged the Government House to demand payment of their outstanding entitlements was not appropriate and lacked protocol.

    “I want to apologise to the governor and the good people of Imo State over the conduct of our players this morning. It was totally uncalled for,” he said.

    Ndubuoke admitted that the players were being owed the balance of their sign-on fees but denied that they were being owed salaries as their actions now tend to portray.

    He said the players’ complaints were well known to the government which was already responding to it and that as such, the players do not need to go to the governor in his office before their grievances can be noted.

    The chairman said the management had duly and appropriately complied the debts owed the players and forwarded same to the government and that the players ought to have waited for it to exhaust all proper channels instead of besieging the government house.

    While assuring that the government is doing everything to see that the players are paid what is owed before the end of the season, he appealed to them to respect constituted authority by following the proper channel.

    Ndubuoke appealed to the governor to see the misbehaviour of the players as those of his loved children and forgive them.

  • ‘No Cup worry for Heartland FC’

    ‘No Cup worry for Heartland FC’

    Heartland technical consultant Christian Chukwu has said there is no cause for alarm over the side’s Federation Cup round of 16 match against Sharks.

    The Nigerian Cup holders and the Port Harcourt-based side will fight for a place in the quarterfinals of the annual football competition slated for Wednesday, July 24 at a venue to be decided.

    Heartland piped non-league side, Ingas FC 1-0 in Calabar in the round of 32 matches while the former West African Football Union (WAFU) kings sweated to beat Asaba-based dark horses, Julius Atete FC 7-6 on penalties in Abakaliki after regulation time score stood at goalless.

    Chukwu said any side desirous of becoming the champions must psyche themselves to confront the best in the land at any point in time.

    “There are no easy or cheap opponents, even Ingas FC were not easy. If you want to be champions you don’t go out looking for easy opposition, the harder the opposition the better for the side.

    “Heartland are prepared for any side. If we don’t meet Sharks right now and see them off chances are we’ll meet them later when they’ll be deadlier.

    “Heartland are fervently hoping to make it a treble, hold the cup for keeps and create a record that will stand the test of time,” said the former Nigerian manager to supersport.com.

    Chukwu said the side are not bothered by the ongoing administrative investigation but rather determined to continue to pull good results in their league matches, starting with the Glo Premier League Matchday 22 tie against Warri Wolves on Sunday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.

    “Management and players are used to the situation, what is permanent in life is change. We’re focusing on the game at hand against Warri Wolves.

    “We’re praying for a good result to avoid a repeat of the poor show against Enyimba and Nembe City. We’ve learnt our lessons.

    “The coaches have done well, perfecting on finishing which has been our biggest headache at the moment.

    “We’re missing the absence of our attackers but we’re hopeful things will shape out fine in the second stanza,” said the former Nigerian defender.

    Heartland and Warri Wolves shared the spoils in the first fixture in Warri. Heartland are 12th on the log on 28 points from a possible 63.

  • Heartland FC now to hit Gabon today

    Heartland FC now to hit Gabon today

    CAF Confederation Cup campaigners, Heartland FC of Owerri will now depart Lagos today, for Libreville, Gabon for the second leg of their African Cup competition against Union Sportif Bitam after a failed attempt to embark on the journey yesterday.

    The ‘Naze Millionaires’ were at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Thursday morning for the trip but were disappointed as there were not enough seats to accommodate members of the contingent.

    The Gabonese registered airline, Askia issued only 10 tickets to 10 players which would have made the team to travel in batches, but after it was discovered that there would be no accompanying official to lead the players on the trip, the team was deboarded.

    Heartland FC now hope to get their 31-man contingent into Gabon through the same airline today after the club and Askia officials in Lagos got in touch with the airline’s headquarters in Libreville.

    The Media Officer of Heartland FC, Cajetan Nkwopara who confirmed the development, said the team’s spirit is not dampened by what happened rather, Heartland see it as an act of God.

    “Sometimes, when a team is challenged this way, you see the best coming out of everybody. We’ll do our best to be in Gabon and we’ll do our best to qualify,” he assured.