Amuneke Celebrates First Away Win As Heartland Coach

Emmanuel Amuneke, MFR, has expressed delight with his first away as Heartland Technical Manager following the Naze Millionaires’ 2-0 win over Abia Warriors in Sunday’s NPFL matchday 10 Oriental Derby, Completesports.com reports.

The five-time champions broke their away duck this season with an emphatic 2-0 win against Abia Warriors at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

Spirit of sportsmanship: Amuneke (m) and his assistant poses for photograph with Abia Warriors Head Coach, Imama Amapakabo (left). Credit: Heartland FC (FB)

Michael Ogu handed the visitors an early lead, heading home Christian Nkwo’s throw-in just 12 minutes after kick-off.

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Amuneke’s side endured sustained pressure from the hosts until Chukwuma Agor’s 95th-minute goal sealed the game, putting it beyond reach for Imama Amapakabo’s team.

This was only the second time Heartland FC secured a positive result in Umuahia, their first being a 1-1 draw in 2014.

A visibly pleased Amuneke said afterwards that his team “came, saw, and conquered,” describing it as the fulfilment of their goal going into the Matchday 10 fixture.

“I can say I’m happy; we came here with the objective of winning, and at the end of the day, we achieved our goal,” the former Zamalek and FC Barcelona winger said.

“It’s a dream come true, but we also need to recognise the Abia Warriors team; they played good football and gave us a lot of problems, especially in the first half. But, thank God, we managed the situation well.”

“When you have an Oriental Derby, it’s a brotherly game, but when it comes to football, everyone wants to win. Our dream was to achieve our objective, which is to win and continue moving out of the difficult position we’re in. That’s what we did today.”

Asked whether he had studied Abia Warriors’ previous games to counter their usual wing play and potent attack so effectively, the former African Player of the Year, AFCON winner, and 1996 Olympic gold medallist refused to reveal his tactical approach.

“Well, I can’t share my tactical secrets. But I can say we respect Abia Warriors a lot, and the coach, Imama Amapakabo, is a brother to me. We’ve spent time together in the national team, and I also played with his assistant, Bethel Orji, at Julius Berger. But as I said, our goal coming here was to win.”

“When we started this journey, many doubted the players and the project. But we’re focused, knowing that success comes through a process. We’re grateful for this opportunity; we’ve got our three points. We’ll return home, review our performance, and address mistakes ahead of the next game against Sunshine Stars.”

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Before Sunday’s win, few expected Heartland to snatch even a point in Umuahia, especially given Abia Warriors’ recent triumph over Bendel Insurance on Matchday 9.

Amuneke, however, emphasised that in football, there’s always a first time and said the team would remain committed to their philosophy.

“We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing; there’s no shortcut to success. We’ll continue encouraging the young players and helping them believe in themselves. Many say they lack experience, but experience comes from playing regularly and learning over time.”

“I’m grateful to serve my people in Imo State, and this team belongs to them. What I owe them is truth and honesty.”

The win at Abia Warriors lifts Heartland, the ‘Arugo Boys’, to 12th place with 12 points after 10 matches as they prepare for next Sunday’s NPFL Matchday 11 home fixture against Sunshine Stars.

Despite the 2-0 defeat, Abia Warriors remain in 9th place with 14 points and will travel to face Lobi Stars this weekend in their Matchday 11 fixture.

By Sab Osuji