Sports
Heartland Appoints Amuneke Technical Manager
Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has unveiled former Nigeria international and 1994 African Footballer of the Year, Emmanuel Amuneke as the Technical Manager of Heartland Football Club, of Owerri.
The unveiling ceremony was held yesterday at the New Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Owerri , where he said that the idea was to “reposition the Heartland Football Club for a brighter future to the happiness of Imo people and football enthusiasts in particular.”
The Governor recalled that on assumption of office in 2020, his administration met a Heartland Football Club that was relegated and that he made frantic efforts to bring it back to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPF).
He, however, regretted that recent events show that the Football Club has gone back to the drain again, “and can only come back to life by reorganising the administrative structure and reposition the management and technical team of the club.”
The Governor said to deal with the situation on ground, he has been able to identify one of Nigeria’s best in football management and technical administration and know-how, in Amuneke, to manage and bring back Heartland FC to her past glory.
Governor Uzodinma therefore expressed joy that Amuneke has graciously accepted and agreed to take up the responsibility, noting that the “target of the technical team is that they must win the Premiership and go for continental competition.”
The Governor assured that his government is committed towards “providing the necessary needs that will enable the technical team succeed and put joy and smiles back on the faces of our people and bring back what Heartland FC used to be.”
To make Amuneke’s job effective and seamless, devoid of unnecessary bureaucracy, the Governor offered to deal directly with his management team through direct reportage to his office.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.