The Executive Committee chairman of Heartland Football Club, Hon. Chibuzor Etuemena, is refusing to take credit of the Naze Millionaires’ bright start to the 2018/2019 NPFL season, Completesports.com can exclusively report.
Heartland are top on Group B standings of the abridged league, amassing nine points from a possible 12 points.
“It is not my credit, everything comes from God and only Him alone takes the glory,” Etuemena nicknamed ‘Digital chairman’ by home fans told Completesports.com.
Last term, Heartland were on the fast lane to a second relegation in two years, but the leadership dispute that overshadowed the Nigeria Football Federation ensured the domestic top flight, NPFL, was terminated after only 24 matches to the advantage of Heartland.
The four time league winners were last on the 20-team log but were saved of relegation blushes by the decision of the League Management Company (LMC) not to activate the ‘last four teams on the final league table’ relegation clause.
And Etuemena says it was a divine intervention to give Heartland a breath of fresh start in the top flight.
“Everything that happens in life happens for good especially for those who believe and trust in the Lord,” Etuemena quipped.
“So, whatever happened that the league ended the way it did last season happened to our favour.
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“I’m a spiritual person, with much belief in God. I think it was divine that the league should end that way.
“Everything I touch hands prosper. God would not want Heartland to go down (again) under my leadership, hence the stoppage of the league.
“It was perhaps God’s divine way to set us on the thresh of this new journey and I cannot stop thanking and worshipping Him.”
It is still early in the day to predict where the final pendulum of victory will swing. But with two top finishers in each group slated for Super Four tournament to determine the eventual league winners and runners-up who will go on to represent the country in next year’s CAF inter club competitions, Etuemena reckons it is a journey of one step at a time for his charges.
“It is still early in the day to begin to make predictions and permutations. However, we hope to take the games as they come, praying for God’s favour and mercies along the way.
“Of course, when we get to the bridge, then we begin to talk about crossing it. There are two spots to fight for. First, we hope to get there and after that, we begin to look for the next. First thing first,” he insisted.
Before assuming the mantle of leadership of the club, Etuemena was the Overseas (London) liaison officer of the club. He played the game at youth and town level and would not forget in a hurry the role Nze R.A Oforma (now late) played in his life, hence he opted to immortalize him through a football tournament in Ogboko, Ideator South Local Government, Imo State.
“I was in a flight one day and the thought of immortalizing a man who gave me university scholarship while I was still playing football in the town came to my mind.
“I put a call to my wife, asking her to remind me when I came back so we can discuss it.
“She did and that gave birth to the Nze R.A Oforma Football Tournament. It was my little way of giving back to the society.”
Ogboko Community won the trophy and a cash prize of N500,000 with Francis Chukwuka, adjudged as best player of the tournament earning an all-expense paid university scholarship from the Heartland football club chairman.
