Buy Heartland _ Fan Ndubuoke
The General Manager (GM) of Heartland fc who is now addressed as the Chairman, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, has finally opened up on the reasons for his continued absence from Heartland’s home game’s among many other things.
Addressing the Press on Sunday immediately after Heartland’s week 9 NPLFL home game against Wikki Tourist of Bauchi at the Dan Anyiam Stadium ,Owerri, the onetime Imo FA Chairman stated that he never at any time abandoned the team as was purported on the local dailies.
“What happened was that on January this year, I met with the Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Kenneth Emelu and the former Chief of Staff now the Deputy Governor, Prince Ezemadumere .
“I told them that we are having problems and that the government has told me to go and look for funds, and that government said they don’t have the kind of money other States are giving to their clubs, infect I was asked to take over the Club(Heartland).
“My argument is, if i am going to take over Heartland it’s not going to be mid-season, there are procedures for doing that, especially the necessary papers. I advised that we should see how we can carry this team, between now and next season so we can look for investors and buyers to take over the club.
“Meanwhile, I told them that I want my nomenclature to change from General Manager to Chairman to enable me do other things am expected to do in other to get money. If you call me a GM, that means am a civil servant, and investors will not take me serious.
“I was asked to put it in writing which I did. So that matter was taking care of, I did inform the government that I have a job in the Aviation Industry.
“What I did was to reverse to the Chairman statute as am now being addressed as the Chairman of Heartland football club, no longer the GM.
“Chief Lemy Akakeem was the chairman of this club for over 20years, he never stopped he’s personal business. Chief Ignatius Okeahialam also was a chairman of the club for 13years and never left his business in Port Harcourt.
“So in the same vain, I asked them to make the chairman so I can go out and look for money as I was asked to since cannot fold my hands and get it. We had that understanding and that’s what happened,” Ndubuoke narrated.
In a similar dimension, Fan also spoke on the team’s ambition after being eliminated from the CAF confederation cup. He stated that just like in last season run for the league, a comprehensive support on the players efforts will determine how far the team can go in this year’s league.
He however pointed out that the team having ov
ercome their worst nightmare of not scoring goals even at home during last season’s campaign all his players need to win the league this season is financial support.
The onetime national Sports Writers Association Chairman (SWAN) praised his technical crew and players for addressing the goal scoring issue and becoming the highest scoring side as well as having the top scorer.
On the ill-fated week 8 game against Kano Pillars, Fan said his team had submitted their protest with evidence of what happened in Kano and are awaiting the decision of League Management Committee, LMC, who sat on Monday April 29 by 4pm in Abuja.
Meanwhile Heartland in an NPFL week 9 game played at Dan Anyiam on Sunday trounced Wikki Tourist of Bauchi 3 0 to move up to the top five on the log with 13 points in eight games.
Happy Okuoka opened the scoring in the 6th minute and the fans waited till the 56th minute before Akor Isah Umoru got the second and his sixth league goal of the season, while Didie Drogba’s look alike Toochukwu Esonu made three at the dot of 90 minutes.
Under-19 Cricket W/cup: Nigeria Invites 33players
Nigeria Cricket Federation, NCF, has invited 33 players for the national trials in preparation for Nigeria’s participation at the 2013 ICC U-19 Cricket World cup qualifiers at yet to be announced venue.
George Wiltshire, the Federation chief operating Officer, COO, said in a statement on Friday that the trials, which is phase one of the national camping is scheduled to hold in Lagos Monday, 29 April 2013 to Thursday, May 2, at the University of Lagos Cricket pith, from 9am to 6pm daily.
He disclosed that Seyi Sonde has been appointed as coach, while Okon Ukpong is team manager.
The invited Players include Addeji Sesan, Adiamo Mojeed, Ajeku Daniel, Obisasan Afeez, Adebowale Segun, Adebiyi Usman, Ogunbayo Dayo, and Adu Bimbo all from Ogun. Also invited are Awosanmi Kunle, Duru Kelechi, Emmanuel Samson,
Oyenuga Niyi, Alfred Tayo, Yusuf Mustapha, Awosanmi Ope, Ojewale Kehinde and Ayinde Babatunde.
Others are Adams Razaq, Shina Awodele, Sadiku Shakiru, Dayo Lawal, Okojaja Henry, Dormotimi Erelayefe, Gin Daniel, Okpe Isaac, Joel Joseph, Onoja Godwin, Akachukwu Chima, Ekhide Christopher, Rilwan Lukeman, Edeigbe Festus, Solomon Gabrial,and finally Ndifreke Ekpe Okon.
Champions League – I will be blamed if Real are eliminated, says Mourinho
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho expects to take the blame instead of his players if they fail to overturn a 4-1 deficit against Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League semi-final second leg on Tuesday.
Mourinho was hired from Inter Milan three years ago to help Real win the 10th European crown that has eluded them since 2002 but the La Liga side are on the brink of a third straight failure at the last-four stage under his stewardship.
“In practically all football clubs success belongs to everyone but failure is always the fault of the coach,” the Portuguese told a news conference on Monday.
“I am perfectly calm because I know that is the situation.
“There are fantastic coaches in football who have never won the Champions League, I have won two, for which I must thank God. But I will continue to fight for a third.”
Mourinho, who won Europe’s elite club competition with Porto in 2004 and Inter in 2010, again had to answer a host of questions about his future amid speculation he will leave Real at the end of the season despite having a contract until 2016.
He has so far refrained from committing to staying beyond June and said this month a decision on his future would be taken at the end of the campaign.
Some reports have said he is poised to rejoin Chelsea, where he failed to win the Champions League, and that Real had lined up Paris St Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti as a replacement.
“If you want to know about contacts between Real Madrid and Ancelotti you have to ask Madrid not me,” Mourinho said.
Asked whether Tuesday’s game could be his last home match for Real in the Champions League, he added: “I feel that this could be the most important match for Real Madrid in the last 10 years.
“But I felt the same thing before we played in Dortmund and we played there as if it was a friendly.”
He also shot down a report that he had told Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp he was moving to Chelsea at the end of the season. Klopp has also said the report, in Germany’s Bild newspaper, was untrue.
“The truth is that I did not speak to Klopp about my future, and Klopp can only speak the truth, nothing more,” he said.
“It’s a shame that people read the newspapers and then don’t listen to what Klopp said.”
BRIGHT FUTURE
Mourinho said he was not surprised that Dortmund, who won the Champions League in 1997, were challenging for another European crown.
He predicted a bright future for the club despite the imminent departure of midfielder Mario Goetze for Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich and the possible exit of striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored all four of Dortmund’s goals in last week’s first leg.
“I have thought Dortmund were a candidate to win the competition from the beginning of the season,” Mourinho said.
“Last season they had a year of adaptation when they were not successful in the group phase but it’s not a surprise to me that they are where they are.
“They are going to lose Mario Goetze and it is said they are also going to lose Lewandowski.
“But it seems to me that they have a great team structure and a great set up to allow a coach like Klopp to do his work in a very calm atmosphere.
“I am sure they will find replacements to ensure continuity because the team is extremely good and so is the coach.”
RESULT ROUND UP
CAF U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL 27/4/13
Ivory Coast 5 — 4 Nigeria
3RD PLACE GAME 27/4/13
Morocco 10 –11 Tunisia
NPFL RESULTS 9 (28/4/13)
ABS FC 1 — 0 3SC
Sunshine 3 –0 Akwa Utd
Sharks 2–1 Bayelsa
Heartland 3 — 0 Wikk T.
Rangers 4 — 0 Pillars
Nasarawa 1 –1 Lobi
Enyimba 2 –0 Dolphins
Nembe City 2 –0 Gombe Utd
Wolves 2 –1 Kwara Utd
Kaduna Utd 1 — 0 EL Kanemi
IMO STATE FED/GOVERNORS CUP SEMIFINAL GAMES
30/4/13
Police Machine — Bussdor Utd @ Dan Anyiam
Heartland Fc — Patros Fc @ “ “
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL GAMES
30/4/13
Real Madrid — Borussia Dortmund
1/5/13
Barcelona — Bayern Munich
