By Wale Mustapha
Heartland FC heads into their Matchday 22 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clash with Rivers United on Sunday, buoyed by the return of two key players from injury.
Suraju Lawal and Tobi Iyanda have rejoined training with the Naze Millionaires after spending weeks sidelined due to various injuries.
Despite this boost, the club is still uncertain about the availability of midfielder Daniel Ekpo, who is set to undergo a late fitness test to determine if he can feature in the upcoming game.
Under the guidance of head coach Emmanuel Amuneke, Heartland will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run to four games.
The team will be hoping for a positive result as they take on Rivers United at Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.
In their last encounter with Rivers United at the same venue, Heartland was held to a 1-1 draw.
Onyekachi Okafor scored for the Naze Millionaires, while Farouk Mohammed netted the equalizer for Rivers United. Heartland will be looking to build on their recent performances and secure all three points on Sunday.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
