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| GOAL ••• Chinedu Efugh on the ground with Enyimba keeper after jabbing the ball to score the FA Cup winner Sunday. PHOTO: SYLVER ELEANYA. |
The Club thus, became the champions of the oldest soccer competition in the country in its 66th edition.
It was first known as All Nigeria Governor’s Cup to the Challenge Cup, then to the Coca Cola FA Cup and now to the Federation Cup.
Where is Mike Obi?
Where is Mike Obi? His stunning free kick won Heartland their last FA Cup final 23 years ago. Then they were Iwuanyanwu Nationale, a team that dazzled in the Nigerian scene, winning the league in three successive years and also making an impact on the continent. Those were the days they were ably led by Prince Lemmy Akakem, a soccer buff.
When Akekem left the scene, Nationale suffered and fumbled until Imo State Government took over the club that they actually owned as Spartans FC of Owerri before Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu bought them over. Rejuvenation started and they played in the CAF Champions League final last season. They would have probably won the cup but for the lack of vision of the state government then.
After this, they hired Christian Chukwu as technical consultant, brought in Fan Ndubuoke as General Manager and they woke up from their seeming slumber, reaching the Federation Cup final and vowing to win it to make up for their poor runs in the league.
They did so yesterday, beating Enyimba 1-0 in the final in Lagos.
Sports loving governor Tunde Fashola was a great host. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State was there to inspire his team. Times have changed in the Enyimba city. Before now, Aba, the Enyimba city, was a symbol of football. Orji Uzor Kalu made it so.
Theordore Orji is now in charge. He was missing in action and Okorocha cracked a joke over it, saying he was happy he didn’t show up.
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| Heartland boys lift their Dutch coach Lodewijk de Kruif in celebration © Shengolpixs |
Heartland showed their hearts in the first half. They looked more organised and controlled the ball better. But for the greater part of the half their good play, in terms of possession, was deep in their own half. They needed to be more adventurous. When they did they deservedly got their goal.
Chinedu Efugh scrambled in the ball after Enyimba keeper, Paul Godwin tried to parry Osas Okoro’s powerful header. His effort was not good enough and Efugh, the captain of Heartland jabbed the ball in. The Owerri fans celebrated in their reds.
Enyimba fought back in the second half but couldn’t get the goal to level up and the Owerri boys heartily celebrated, lifting high their Dutch coach Lodewijk de Kruif in a victory dance. 23 years on, the FA Cup popularly known as the Challenge Cup, is back to Owerri.
Randsom Madu, one of the players who won the cup then is in the technical crew now and perhaps one of the happiest today having achieved his dream of winning the FA Cup as a player and a coach. "Owerri wu Okemba", he would sing.
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