The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Heartland

  • Enyimba/ Heartland planning reunion match

    Enyimba/ Heartland planning reunion match

    Heartland and  Enyimba are locked in  discussions over a reunion match. The date and venue have not been fixed.

    The Naze Millionaires and  People’s Elephant are neighbours but the rivalry between them has been very fierce with one always not agreeing with the other on the football pitch.

    Enyimba would be looking back at last season and what their position could have been had it been they won both games against their illustrious neighbour where they only garnered a point out of possible six.

    It is owing to this and other factors that a source close to both clubs confirmed to SportingLife that Heartland and Enyimba will soon play a friendly match which they will tag a reunion affair and that it would be meant to settle their old differences as both clubs want to chart the way forward.

    Though no date, time and venue has been fixed, SportingLife  reliably gathered that top officials of both clubs have sanctioned the tie to go ahead.

    Enyimba placed second at the end of last season and barely a point off league winners, Kano Pillars while Heartland were in the middle section of the log.

  • Heartland task Onuh to win league

    Heartland task Onuh to win league

    Heartland have   tasked new coach  Erasmus Onuh to win the Nigerian league championship in the forthcoming 2014/2015 season.

    Heartland media officer Cajetan Nkwopara told AfricanFootball.com: “Yes, I can confirm that Erasmus Onuh is the new technical adviser of Heartland FC.

    “He was unveiled to the sports-loving people of Imo State on Monday and he was given a one-year contract with a clear mandate to turn the fortunes of the club around for the better.

    “He was specifically mandated to wrestle the league trophy from the grasps of current champions, Kano Pillars.”

    Onuh has handled the country’s home-based team as well as ABS FC of Ilorin. He handled Sunshine Stars last season from the second round.

    Heartland ended last season in 10th place under coach Kelechi Emetole, who has since moved to neighbours Enugu Rangers.

  • Heartland to punish late comers

    Heartland to punish late comers

    Heartland team manager, Promise Nwachukwu, has said stiff penalties await players who did not heed the Monday, January 15 resumption date.

    The Naze Millionaires officially resumed camp on Monday for the 2014/15 Glo Premier League season.

    Nwachukwu said it amounts to sheer irresponsibility on the players to treat with wholesome levity the management resumption order for the new season insisting that those who faulted the order will be duly punished.

    “Well, we recorded low turnout of players about 15 which I considered scanty as the resumption date is well known to the entire players. Though today (Tuesday) the turnout was quite impressive but then I told the coaches to take special note of the players present for the first two days.

    “Of course, the late comers will be duly fined, turned back or severely penalised and more to serve as deterrent to others that it won’t be business as usual in the coming season.

    “The players were paid their entitlements with lengthy holidays to unwind and rest with their respective families so there is no reason whatsoever some of them will be reporting late to camp. I won’t want to leave anything to chance that will act or hinder us from achieving our set goals in the upcoming season,” he said.

  • Cooreman favoured at Heartland

    Cooreman favoured at Heartland

    Belgian tactician, Maurice Cooreman has emerged as top favourite to replace departed technical adviser, Kelechi Emeteole at Heartland.

    The former Gombe United coach has handled Enyimba, Kaduna United, Warri Wolves, Lobi Stars, Gabros FC, Ocean Boys, Asante Kotoko, among others in the past.

    Emeteole is reported to have crossed over to oriental neighbours, Enugu Rangers for the 2014/15 Glo Premier League season.

    An unnamed source said although other experienced coaches have shown interest in the Heartland position the former Gombe United coach is highly favoured to grab the top job due to his track record of winning laurels with past clubs.

    “Maurice Cooreman is certain to take charge at Heartland for the upcoming season except the unexpected happens. I’m aware that discussions have progressed smoothly between the experienced coach and the management of Heartland. Although I can’t say outright whether discussion have reached the point where both parties will sit down to append signatures.

    “I know, too that other experienced coaches like Godwin Uwua, Salisu Yusuf, among others have equally shown interest in handling Heartland, but Cooreman is in pole position to get the job due to his track record with past teams.

    “Cooreman is a coach that has almost won laurels, continental tickets with past teams as well as has eyes for the discovery and harmonious working relationship with young talents.

    “These factors place him above his challengers and I think the management of Heartland is favourably disposed to work with him. I believe the management is quite on top of the situation with the reported departure of Kelechi Emeteole to Enugu Rangers,” said the source to supersport.com.

    Emeteole guided the 2009 CAF Champions League finalists to the 10th position in the outgone 2013/14 Glo Premier League season.

  • Heartland retain foreign trio

    Heartland retain foreign trio

    Supersport.com has learnt that Premier League side, Heartland, will retain three members of their foreign contingent when the new football season resumes in 2015.

    The trio include 2014 WAFU GOtv top scorer and Togolese international Saibou Badarou, Malian left-back Zoumane Doumbia and Ivorian midfielder Ronald Koffi.

    Last term, the Owerri side had the largest foreign contingent with five players.

    “The club is satisfied with performance of the trio of Badarou, Doumbia and Koffi. The duo of Koffi Koman and and Abdouramane Konate will not return,” a club official told supersport.com.

    Badarou was an instant hit after scoring on his debut at Kaduna United, but lost steam, while Doumbia seized the left-back position from Nigerian international, Benjamin Francis, who later left for Israel. Doumbia scored in the 4-3 away win at Bayelsa United. Interestingly, the duo of Badarou and Doumbia were nominated in the Best Foreign Player category at the 2014 League Bloggers Awards (LBA).

    The Owerri side has a tradition of fielding foreign players from the 1990s when they were known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale.

  • Heartland thumbs up Uyo fans

    Heartland thumbs up Uyo fans

    Heartland FC has dedicated their second away win of the season at Uyo against Akwa United to the fans at the Uyo Township Stadium who cheered good football throughout the duration of the Glo Premier League Week 37 game yesterday.

    The Naze Millionaires woke up from their lacklustre home goalless draw at Owerri against FC Taraba last Sunday with a surprise 1-0 away win against Akwa United.

    Bobby Clement scored the only goal of the encounter in the 63rd minute to ensure that Heartland move to 55 points from 37 games.

    The Media Officer of Heartland, Cajetan Nkwopara gave glowing praises to Uyo fans who were desirous of good football and who did not allow crowd violence to rear its ugly head even when their home club was a goal down in the match.

    He disclosed that the cheerful disposition of the Uyo fans should be commended and that they would always be grateful for the fans for ensuring that Heartland were at home throughout the encounter.

    “Uyo fans love good football and we musty appreciate them for cheering us when they felt we were playing the better game. They deserve praises,” Nkwopara told NationSport.

  • HEARTLAND ARE REBUILDING , SAYS EMETEOLE

    HEARTLAND ARE REBUILDING , SAYS EMETEOLE

    •Prays for Imo people’s patience

    Heartland’s head coach Kelechi Emeteole has stated that the Naze Millionaires are  an experimental team this season but that the players would explode if he is still in charge next season.

    The Owerri side have failed to pick maximum points at home on six different occasions against Nasarawa United, Abia Warriors, Dolphins, Sharks, El Kanemi Warriors and FC Taraba but Emeteole in an interview with SportingLife has charged Imo people not to fret about the performance of the club at home this season.

    Emeteole said he has had to cope with a makeshift team and that his failure to start on time with the team reduced every possibility of contesting for any meaningful title adding that with the amount of work put in place thus far, Heartland will be a team to beat next season.

    The former international agreed that his best assembled Heartland side were the players he worked with in 2009 but told Imo people to relax because he is working towards raising  players who he said would be up to the quality of those he worked with in the past.

    Speaking on the draw FC Taraba got at Owerri last weekend, he pointed out that the Jalingo Boys were very lucky that none of the numerous chances  they had was converted into goals.

    “We are still coming up and we are not yet there. FC Taraba came to Owerri with the intention of not allowing us to play but we dominated the game from the start to the end. I will praise the urgency of my boys in the second half of the game had it been we started the game with the same zeal we showed in the  second half, we would have won.

    “I’m not promising anything but what I’m sure of is that this team will be better than this next season if I am still here. My best team I will continue to say are the players I worked with in 2009; they were good in all ramifications. We are working towards raising players with the same mentality. Imo people should be patient with us and they should allow us to work,” Emeteole told SportingLife.

  • RANGERS MANAGEMENT TO PLAYERS: BEAT HEARTLAND GET N.5M

    RANGERS MANAGEMENT TO PLAYERS: BEAT HEARTLAND GET N.5M

    Enugu Rangers’ players will get 500,000 Naira from the club’s management immediately after their home game with Heartland today at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium if they beat their neighbours in a Premier League Week 33 tie.

    The Oriental Derby has always been fierce in the past and to ensure that Flying Antelopes do not allow the encounter to overwhelm them, general manager of the club, Paul Chibuzor Ozor has told Goal that the players would be half a million Naira richer if they do the needful against the Naze Millionaires to get the maximum points.

    Rangers went on a six-game unbeaten run with four wins and two draws before this was punctured at Katsina Ala where they were beaten 2-0 by Lobi Stars last Sunday.

    But Ozor said that he has had useful deliberation with the players and they have promised him that they would get the maximum points against Heartland and thereafter commence another unbeaten streak.

    Ozor said: “The players have been told the importance of the home game with Heartland [and] they have assured me that they would win it without any problem.

    “The management has encouraged them with a sum of N500,000 which they would collect at the end of the match if they win.

    “We have told them to forget about the loss to Lobi Stars and focus their attention on beating Heartland to begin  another unbeaten streak till the end of the season,” Ozor told Goal.

  • Heartland whitewash Sunshine 3-0 at Owerri

    Heartland whitewash Sunshine 3-0 at Owerri

    Heartland made  mince meat of visiting Sunshine Stars at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri after the Naze Millionaires shocked the Akure Gunners by three well taken goals in a Glo Premier League Week 32 tie played yesterday.

    The Owerri side showed from the commencement of the match that they wanted the maximum points after they surged forward in search of goals immediately the referee signalled the start of hostility.

    It was not long thereafter that the Naze Millionaires shot into the lead through Happy Okuoka who scored after a nice work from the flank in the fifth minute.

    Impressive Bobby Clement added a second goal for the home team in the 32nd minute after a rebound in the 18 yard box fell to his path for his fifth goal of the season after he joined Heartland from Fame Academy, Lagos at the start of the second stanza.

    Okuoka, who scored two goals against the Akure Gunners during the first stanza, added his second goal of the night at Owerri when he scored Heartland’s third goal in the 34th minute.

    Sunshine Stars’ head coach, Erasmus Onuh shuffled his pack in the second half after he replaced ineffective goalkeeper, Henry Ayodele in place of Emmanuel Fabiyi and also returning Tamen Medrano to his preferred central midfield role at the start of the second half.

    The move paid off as the Akure side did not concede more goals  as the game ended 3-0 in favour of the home team.

    Heartland by virtue of the victory have moved to 47 points while Sunshine are still on 45 points. Both teams have played 32 matches.

  • Enyimba, Heartland talk tough

    Enyimba, Heartland talk tough

    Enyimba and Heartland have started talking tough ahead of their Oriental Derby  at the Enymba International Stadium,Aba on Sunday in a Premier League Week 29 tie.

    The Naze Millionaires pipped the People’s Elephant 1-0 when the first leg was played at Owerri and both clubs have begun talking tough with barely 24 hours to the reverse leg at Aba.

    Speaking with SportingLife on telephone from Aba, Enyimba head coach,Kadiri Ikhana, said that the Aba Giants would be bouyed by their performance during the last home game despite knowing that games involving both sides are always tough.

    Ikhana disclosed that his players have assured him they would carry the day adding that they had put behind them their harrowing experience at Katsina Ala.

    “We know that any game between us and Heartland will always be tough.We won’t disrespect them at all. We are desirous of victory better than them and victory shall be ours,” Ikhana told SportingLife.

    The Media Officer of Heartland of Owerri, Cajetan Nkwopara has, however, noted that based on the players they have acquired at the start of the second stanza of the current season they would pick at least a point in Aba and they were satisfied with the performance of the players against Nembe City.

    He also prayed for an enabling environment when the game is played on Sunday since Enyimba had same when they first played at Owerri some months back.