Heartland F.C.
















































Heartland FC
Heartland F.C. logo
Full name Heartland Football Club
Nickname(s) Soccer Scientists, Spartans, Naze Millionaires, Hearts
Founded 1976
Ground
Dan Anyiam Stadium
Owerri, Imo, Nigeria
Capacity 10,000
Chairman Goodfaith Etuemena[1]
Manager Ricardo Cabanas
League Nigeria Professional Football League
2017 1st-Nigeria National League (promoted)

















Home colours














Away colours




Heartland FC (formerly known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale from 1985 to 2006) is a Nigerian football club based in Owerri. They play their home games at Dan Anyiam Stadium. Enyimba FC are their rivals. Until their 18th place showing and relegation in 2016, they were one of two teams in the top flight that had never been relegated.
In October 2017, Heartland F.C. won the Nigeria National League Southern Conference to gain promotion back up to the top flight.
[2]




Contents






  • 1 History


  • 2 Milestones


  • 3 Relegation To NNL


  • 4 Achievements


  • 5 Performance in CAF competitions


  • 6 Current squad


  • 7 Team staff


  • 8 Former coaches


  • 9 References


  • 10 External links





History


Founded as Spartans FC, they won the Nigerian championship three years running from 1988–90. [1]. Their first international (friendly) match was against Ararat Yerevan of the USSR which Spartans won 2–0 at the Township Stadium, Tetlow Road, Owerri, in August 1976.[3]



Milestones


November 1985: Spartans FC renamed Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC following a successful change of ownership from Imo State Government to chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.


January 1986: Iwuanyanwu Nationale embark on a 3-week training tour of Brazil. The club finished runner-up of Nigerian top league.


1987: Iwuanyanwu Nationale emerged as League winners ahead of Leventis United on goal difference. They later went on to represent Nigeria in CAF Champions Cup.


1988: Iwuanyanwu Nationale repeat as League champions as well as winning Nigerian FA Cup for first time, beating Flash Flamingoes of Benin in cup final 3–0. Reach CAF Champions Cup final, winning 1–0 in first leg tie in Ibadan, losing 4–0 in Constantine, Algeria in return leg versus Entente Setif.


1989: Retain League title but lost FA Cup following 0–1 loss in final to BCC Lions.


1990: Iwuanyanwu Nationale beat Stationery Stores of Lagos in Lagos in professional League's commemorative game 2–1. Nationale went on to emerge first pro league winners in Nigeria.


1991: Nationale lose League title to Julius Berger, crash out of CAF Champions Cup to Nakivubo of Uganda in semi-final.


1993: Club regain League title following a 2–0 away victory over El-Kanemi Warriors in last league fixture to edge out Bendel Insurance to the title race.


1994: Reach champions cup quarter-final. Lose 3–0 to Espérance de Tunis of Tunisia in first leg tie, September 18. Aboard a chartered Oriental Airline, the team suffered an aircrash at Tamanrasset, Southern Algeria same night. Two players, defender Aimola Omale and goalkeeper Uche Ikeogu lost their lives.
CAF consequently shifted the return leg match in Owerri from October 3, to October 10. Nationale crashed out following a 1–1 draw in the return leg match.


1999: Emerged regular League champions but lost title to Lobi Stars of Makurdi in the inaugural Super League play-off.


2005: Finished third in Premier League and also in the Coca-Cola FA Cup with coach Stanley Eguma in charge.


2006: Imo State Government re-acquire ownership of the club on February 7 from chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, renaming it Heartland FC.[3]


2008: Finished second in Premier League by one point to Kano Pillars, earned a Champions League slot.


2009: Finished second in the 2009 CAF Champions League, losing to away goals to TP Mazembe after tying 2–2 on aggregate.


2011: The club won the Federation Cup, its first silverware since its last league win in 1993. Heartland defeated highly fancied Enyimba 1-0 thanks to a late first half goal by their captain, Chinedu Efugh.


2012: Heartland retained its 2011 cup win by defeating Lobi Stars 2-1 in the finals held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos thereby winning it again in 2012.



Relegation To NNL


Ending 18th in the 2016 Nigeria Professional Football League ensured the club went on relegation for the first time since its 40-year existence. On the final day of the season, Heartland abandoned their game against Plateau United in the 75th minute after the centre referee, Folorunsho Ajayi cancelled their goal which was to give them a 2-1 lead. Heartland was eventually penalized by the League Management for abandoning their game and 3 points and 3 goals was awarded to the home team, Plateau United. The result of this meant that MFM FC was safe would remain in the league at Heartland's expense.


They only spent a year at the second level, winning the Southern division with 61 points and 18 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses.



Achievements


  • Nigerian Premier League: 5

1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993.

  • Nigerian FA Cup: 3

1988, 2011, 2012.

  • Nigerian Super Cup: 2

2011, 2012.


Performance in CAF competitions











Current squad


As of January 2018


Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.












































































































































No.

Position
Player
2

Nigeria

GK

Japhet Utobo
3

Nigeria

DF

Chukwudi Oparaugo
4

Nigeria

MF

Uchenna Orisakwe
5

Nigeria

MF

Fuad Ekelejuoti
6

Nigeria

MF

Ismail Jimoh
7

Nigeria

MF

Prince Dike
8

Nigeria

MF

Kingsley Salami
9

Nigeria

FW

Moses Akinade
10

Nigeria

FW

Lucky Emeriojake
11

Nigeria

DF

Macmarcel Obioha
12

Nigeria

FW

Mohammed Afeez
13

Nigeria

MF

Kingsley Ugwuegbu
14

Nigeria

DF

Kenneth Ikwugbado
15

Nigeria

DF

Benedict Okotu
16

Nigeria

FW

Elvis Okoroafor
17

Nigeria

FW

Ali Buhari
18

Nigeria

GK

Ebele Obi
19

Nigeria

DF

Emmanuel Nwokeji
20

Nigeria

FW

Chimere Maduba
21

Nigeria

MF

Odera Onyiri
22

Nigeria

FW

Francis Momoh








































































































































No.

Position
Player
23

Nigeria

DF

Uche Odeh
24

Nigeria

MF

Nelson Osoboh
25

Nigeria

MF

Kingsley Anunobi
26

Nigeria

MF

Julius Ubido (Captain)
27

Nigeria

MF

Nnamdi Egbujor
28

Nigeria

MF

Odinaka Ahiaeke
29

Nigeria

MF

Emmanuel Egesi
30

Nigeria

GK

Azeez Ikhana
31

Nigeria

DF

Onyebuchi Onyechefula
33

Nigeria

DF

Onomba Chijioke
34

Nigeria

FW

Abiodun Thompson
35

Nigeria

FW

Okoro Ndukwe
36

Ivory Coast

MF

Alexandre Kouakou
40

Nigeria

GK

Emeka Ezeogu


Nigeria

DF

Jimoh Olawale


Nigeria

DF

Aleem Adebayo


Nigeria

MF

Francis Madu


Nigeria

MF

Joseph Mbalewe


Nigeria

FW

John Chukwudi


Nigeria

MF

Oluchukwu Nwosu


Nigeria

MF

Sunday Eze



Team staff


Cajetan Nkwopara --------------Secretary
Mobi Oparaku ---------------- Team Manager
Emma U. Emelu -----------------Welfare Officer
Anthony C. Okoro --------------Asst. Coordinator
Nduka Ozuruigbo --------------- Finance Officer
Bar. Ifeanyi Dike -----------------Legal Officer
Neville Okere ----------------- ---Marketing Officer
Veronica Aghalanya ------------ IT Specialist
Emmanuel Ugo ----------------- Deputy Security Officer
Henry Echefu -------------------- Media Officer
Solomon Onu -------------------- Public Relations Officer
George Iheanacho ------------ Medical Officer

Technical Crew


Ramson Madu ------------------ Chief Coach
Patrick Awaja ------------------- Assistant Coach
Bob Acholonu ------------------- Chief Fitness Trainer
Chjarles Uzo ---------------------Head Coach Team B
Longinus Duru ------------------- Goalkeeper Trainer


Former coaches



  • Ossai Chukwuka

  • Kelechi Emetole


  • Bulgaria Mitko Dobrev (Aug 2007 – Jan 09)


  • Nigeria Ben Iroha (2009–??)


  • Netherlands Lodewijk de Kruif (March 2010–??)


  • Nigeria Samson Siasia (July 2010 – Dec 10)


  • Nigeria Christian Chukwu (interim) (Feb 2011 – March 11)


  • Netherlands Lodewijk de Kruif (2011–12)



References




  1. ^ http://authorityngr.com/2017/03/We-now-have-one-united-Heartland-family-says-Etuemena/


  2. ^ "Jubilation as promoted Heartland arrive Owerri". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2018-06-04..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  3. ^ ab "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2008-01-02.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)



External links






  • Official website



Popular posts from this blog

澳門輕軌系統

水泉澳邨

Indian Forest Service