By Wale Mustapha
Heartland FC will resume their fight to avoid relegation from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) this weekend when they face Nasarawa United in a vital Matchday 35 fixture.
The Owerri-based club, known as the Naze Millionaires, will be away to the Solid Miners at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe. Nasarawa United are currently playing their home matches there following a ban from their Lafia base.
Heartland sit 17th on the NPFL table with 42 points, just four games remaining in the 2024 season. With time running out, head coach Emmanuel Amuneke and his side face a tough challenge to secure their top-flight status.
Despite the odds, the former league champions have reiterated their determination to survive the drop, promising a spirited performance in Gombe.
“We shall not get tired until we achieve our objective,” the club wrote on its official X handle.
“It is with this conviction we shall be visiting Gombe for a date with the Solid Miners this weekend with our eyes on the prize. Our boys are ready for pure mining.”
Heartland will need maximum points to keep their survival hopes alive as the season winds down.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
