Heartland football club of Owerri on Wednesday the 11th of July piped the Nigerian Premier League Defending Champions Dolphins FC of Portharcourt with a late goal that was scored by Super Eagles Obinna Nwachukwu at the 87th minute of play.
The Naze Millionaires who since last Saturday downed their tools for unpaid bonuses, salaries and about 70 percent of their sign on fees. Where begged by the management to manage and lace their boots for the NPL week 34 games.
Just last week before their oriental derby with their perenial rivals Enyimba FC of Aba, the Federation Cup champions did storm the Douglas house (Imo State government house) to demand for their unpaid entitlements.
Soccer pundits in the state have been blaming the lack of proper motivation on the part of government as the reason Heartland is not contending favourably for the league title and also failed to make the group stage of the CAF confederation cup.
Still on unpaid entitlements and motivation, information reaching Imo Trumpeta reveals that while clubs like Enyimba, Dolphins, Kano Pillars, Rangers FC, Sunshine and Warri Wolves received around 20 to 30 million as their monthly subventions, our darling team Heartland does not get up to 20 million.
In an event the team is expected to win the league trophy, defend their Fed. Cup and also do well in the CAF Competitions, the government who are the sole financers of the club must be ready to borrow a leaf from what the former Governor of Abia state Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and Anyansi Agwu did with Enyimba international six years ago when they dominated both the Nigerian scene and the African champion’s league competition.
With 33 games played, Heartland now has 49 points and are placed on the 8th position of the Log table. Rangers FC are still on top of the Log with 58 points closely followed by Kano Pillars and Lobi Stars who defeated Enyimba FC on Wednesday’s NPL week 34 games in Katsina – ala.
The NPL games are expected to proceed on another short brake to pave way for the group games of the federation cup.
Heartland will be traveling to Portharcourt (Group D) to engage three northern teams, Nasarawa United, Plateau United and Gombe United for one of the 2 quarterfinal ticket.
