Heartland FC in Distress

HEARTLAND FC IN DISTRESS

     The last time I checked, the famous Heartland Football Club (FC) of Owerri otherwise known as the ‘Naze Millionaires’ were really seeking for an urgent attention from the apt quarter considering their performance in their recent outings in the ongoing 2015/2016 season of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).

     If you have been following the aforementioned championship (NPFL), you would observe that the club has been inconsistent in all ramifications, thereby dampening the morale of its teeming fans. Aside its ‘win and loss’ syndrome, the players have been into ‘fumbling and wimbling’ bargain. These among other pressing issues require to be adequately considered with a view to making amends where necessary.

     Taking a walk down the memory lane: when the team was founded forty years ago, in 1976 precisely, as Spartans FC, the state was of the view that she had gotten a football team to reckon with not just in Nigeria but worldwide; and since then, the club has been making remarkable waves in the Nigeria’s football terrain and sports generally. It consecutively remained the Nigerian football Champion for four years, from 1987 to 1990 when it was called Iwuanyanwu Nationale. Moreover, Heartland FC remain one of the two Nigerian teams that have never been relegated since they came on board.

     In 2006, the Imo State government thought it wise to reclaim the ownership of the club having leased it to the private sector in 1985 because she realized the socio-economic implications of the state government not being able to boast of a functional senior soccer team. In this regard, the government isn’t meant to be reminded that a special attention must at all times be paid to such sector, let alone this period that diversification of every state’s IGR sources remains a public discourse.

    At the commencement of the ongoing NPFL, Heartland FC started woefully by recording a losses or goalless in all the matches played with their counterparts including Warri Wolves, Wikki Tourist, Abia Warriors, and Akwa Utd Football clubs, respectively; the most painful of these was the one they played at home with their neighbouring counterpart, Abia Warriors FC that ended 1-0, precisely at the Dan Anyiam ten thousand Capacity Stadium, Owerri. This, among other troubling matters was what prompted the quest to substitute the team’s then Technical Adviser and Chief Coach in the person of Bethel Orji. To this end, the present Coach, Alphonsus Dike was contracted to handle the team.

     In addition, new players such as Emeka Achilona from Dolphins FC (now Rivers Utd), Longi Obadiah from El-kanemi Warriors, Egor from Giwa FC, and Adeleye Anukaye from IfeanyiUbah FC, were pumped into the team to boost its morale and efficiency. The moment Mr Dike resumed duty as the team’s Chief Coach, everything automatically changed positively as if a messiah has come. Unfortunately, thereafter an inconsistency as regards the performance of the players set in unannounced; they would win a match, and subsequently they would willingly settle for a loss or draw and vice-versa.

      Obviously, the wins so far were recorded only in the six matches they played at home, indicating that their powers only lie at the Dan Anyiam Stadium. The one that baffled me most was their outing against the bottom placed Ikorodu United FC on Saturday 30th April 2016 at the Onikan Stadium, Agege, Lagos State, which ended 3-1 in favour of the latter, though Zoumana Doumbia bagged a Red Card but that wasn’t enough reason. I noticed, the moment Anthony Oussou scored the early goal, they all went to bed as if the match was over. Why I was deeply hurt by the outcome of the match was because I, being a staunch fan of Heartland FC, boasted so much that the club would carry the day, during my interaction with some of my old time friends who reside in Lagos State.

     We would recall that the Ikorodu Utd just joined the NPFL alongside the MFM, Niger Tornadoes, and Plateau Utd Football clubs, thus it’s unequivocally a baby to the Heartland FC. They later compensated me by defeating El-Kanemi Warriors FC on Sunday 8th May 2016 with 2-1 goal margin, making them occupy the 10th position on the League Table having played fifteen matches.    

     Before they battled with the Niger Tornadoes FC at Minna, Niger State penultimate week, on Wednesday 11th May 2016 to be precise, the General Manager as well as the General Coordinator of the club (Heartland FC) in the persons of Oscar Keke and Tonnex Chukwu respectively, assured their fans and Imolites at large that they were headed for Minna to amend the costly mistake they made in Agege, Lagos State; the club’s Head Coach – Alphonsus Dike coupled with the skipper, Chinedu Efugh also supported the assurance. Owing to this, everyone including myself was of the strong opinion that the intended hosts were in big trouble, only to see that they were indeed a violent storm with strong circular winds just as their name (Tornadoes) implies; the match ended 2-1 in their favour. As if that wasn’t enough; they further resorted to goalless draw in their outing against Kano Pillars FC.

     Now, the Heartland FC is placed on one of the bottom positions on the League Table, signifying that the club’s management is required to act fast before the monkey’s hand in the soup turns to a human hand. I’m much concerned because I’m a devoted fan of the club as well as a patriotic stakeholder in the state. When most Imo indigenes were busy fanning the various soccer clubs in Europe, I was very busy praying for Heartland FC’s success; this is the reason I’m earnestly crying foul.

     It’s not as if the club cannot presently boast of competent and reliable players. With Philip Acho, their goalpost is duly safeguarded. Similarly, the likes of Chinedu Efugh, Anthony Oussou, Nelson Ogbonnaya, Roland Koffi, Zoumane Doumbia, Emeka Ogbu and Bright Ejike, among many others, are invariably ready and prepared to play to finish. What’s needed right now is a proper team work; since the coach is relatively new in the club, he still needs more time to master the tactics of each of the players towards creating a formidable team. We don’t have a team; we only have players. Against this backdrop, the coach needs to engage the boys on more rigorous trainings prior to their subsequent matches.

      However, the Imo State government through the effort of the state’s Commissioner for Sports, Chief Chidi Ibe is expected to go closer to the club toward ascertaining the actual plight it’s currently faced with. Apart from building a team work as asserted above, other pressing logistic issues could cause the downfall of any organization. For instance, the FC in question needs to boast of a world class fan club. We can as well boost the boys’ morale by promising them match bonuses.

     We are aware that sports is all about win, draw or loss, but this very one is abnormal. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-Public Affairs analyst & Civil Rights activist-

Chief Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

Twitter: @mediambassador