Heartland Football Club of Owerri, the Federation Cups Champions, the Charity Cup and NPL’s pre-season Super Four Champions have been described as the pride of every Igbo citizen. This assertion was made by no other than a man of authority in the world of football, Mr Ejikeme Ikwunze (aka Mr Football). Mr Football who is presently the Abia State Director of Football made this revelation when Imo Trumpeta Sports Chief called at his office to discuss sporting issues in the nation. He stated that Mr Fan Ndubuoke (Heartland General Manager) has been able to professionalize the club within a space of two and half years, within which the club has been able to win the Federation Cup back-to-back (2011 and 2012), the Charity Cup back-to-back (2012 and 2013) and recently the NPL’s Interim Management Committee’s pre-season Super Four held in Kano. Mr Football also took time to praise the Governor of Imo state for his efforts in supporting the club adding that more still needs to be done if Heartland would further their dominance of Nigerian football as well as conquer Africa by winning the CAF Confederation Cup this year. He however did not forget to mention that while Heartland has attained the level of being regarded as the pride of the Igbos, that Enyimba remains the priceless jewel of Nigerian football having won the Nigerian Premier League six times and lifting the CAF Champions League two times in 2003 and ’04 consecutively. He then went further to recount that Rangers football club of Enugu who has returned to African Champions League after so many years also is the Torch Bearer of Nigerian football considering their victorious days in Nigerian football in the 70s and the 80s and their exploits in the African scene. When asked the way forward on Nigerian League, Mr Football was quick to remind us of what Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has been able to achieve with the home based footballers, pointing out that if only we can make our league to be more healthier than it is, we will be able to raise a strong National team that can challenge favourably well in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He continued by saying that our league can be better than it is today if we put the right things where they are supposed to be starting from the administrators to coaches, players, fans, private sponsors, the referees and the followership. “Only when we get all this right, that Nigerian League can become the best in Africa and among the best in world.
