As the curtains fall on the 2023/24 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), today Sunday, June 23, 2024, my beloved Heartland Football Club of Owerri, Imo state, will kiss goodbye to top flight football, at least for the next football calendar.
This is even as the once dreaded club founded as Spartans FC in 1976 at the same period Imo state was created from the former East Central State (ECS) has already been relegated before the season officially ended today, the result of the last match in Ilorin against Kwara United not withstanding.
Heartland which later metamorphosed into Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC when the Imo state government under the military regime ceded the club the Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman/CEO of Hardel and Enic Construction Company and Oriental Airlines Ltd, from 1985 to 2006, before the civilian administration of ex-Governor Ikedi Ohakim re-acquired ownership of the club from Chief Iwuanyanwu and renamed it Heartland FC, is the only Premier League Club to win the Nigerian Elite League four times consecutively.
Heartland as Nationale emerged as the first professional league winners in Nigeria in 1989 when they defeated Stationery Stores FC of Lagos in Lagos in the first ever game of the newly Nigeria Professional League (NPL) which they won 2–1, with ace defender Ben Iroha scoring the first goal.
Aside reaching the CAF Champions League finals twice in 1988 and 2009, with the last being painful as Heartland lost to away goals to rule to TP Mazembe after tying 2–2 on aggregate. Heartland won the first leg at home 2–1 but an own goal in the 73rd minute in the return leg in Lubumbashi meant the Nigerian side finished second best in the continent as this writer served as Special Assistant to Governor Ikedi Ohakim on Heartland FC Affairs 2009 to 2011.
Ironically, Heartland has now gone on Three Relegations in Five Years as it finished 19th place in the just concluded NPFL with its first-ever relegation to the lower division, Nigeria National League (NNL) from the Elite Nigeria league since its inception 40-years ago being in 2016, when they ended in 18th position, no thanks to lack of financial support from the government of ex-Governor Rochas Ethelberth Okorocha.
They only spent a year at the Second Division, winning the Southern Division with a game to spare, ending on 61 points and 18 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses but the same lack of financial stability ensured that by 2021/22 season Heartland went down again.
However, like the proverbial “Abiku” or “Ogbanje”, Heartland which returned to NPFL just last season, has today gone back to football “wilderness” under the watch of the incumbent APC Governor, Chief Hope Uzodinma who have joined his predecessor Okorocha of APC in taking the unwanted credits of being in power three times Heartland FC was relegated from the Top Division to Lower Division Nigeria League.
Take a bow ex-Governor Ohakim and Chief Iwuanyanwu for taking Heartland FC (Nationale) to the apex African Club Football League, although missing the trophy by whiskers, by appointing Experts to run the club during your time unlike your successors who are using Heartland FC as a political patronage to settle their cronies hence the spate of bad results that lead to frequent relegations.
While Heartland’s local rivals Enyimba FC, Enugu Rangers and Abia Warriors are contesting for continental tickets in both NPFL and President Cup, the “Naze Millionaires” are busy fighting for the first position from the bottom.
The club’s founding fathers late Chief Jerry Enyeazu, Chief Dan Anyiam ex-coaches and legends like Thompson Oliha, Benedict Iroha (Machi), Tony Ukeachu,
Samson Ozogula, Uche Okechukwu (Gentle Giant),Tony Nwigwe, Kelechi Emetole (Catapilar), Sam Anozie, Nwankwo Kanu (Papilo) and Benjamin Nzeakor. READ ALSO:
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Also, Mobi Oparaku, Sylvester Oparanozie (Bahama), Nicholas Ukadike (Thunder), Peterside Idah,
Chijioke Ejiogu (Arugo Monkey) and late defender Aimola Omale and late goalkeeper Uche Ikeogu, will be highly disappointed of what the club has become like the teeming supporters of Heartland from Spartans days.
My Take: Let Gov. Hope Uzodinma save Heartland FC from going into extinction by not rewarding his political erand boys with the continued running of the affairs of this great club because Imo state has competent men and women doing great in the corporate world to reposition this club to return to its rightful NPFL status after a season in the Lower Division which the incompetent management has condemned the team to drop.
Owerri Wu Oke Mba!!!
