By Wale Mustapha
Heartland FC has officially resumed training for the second half of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season, following a short break for the New Year celebrations.
The Naze Millionaires returned to the pitch on Monday morning at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri, signaling their readiness for the upcoming challenges.
The club shared their enthusiasm on social media, stating, “We are back and better. After the Yuletide break, our boys and other officials, headed by our Technical Manager Emmanuel Amuneke, resumed this morning for the official start of preparations for the second round, which starts later in the month.”
Heartland FC ended the first half of the season in 14th place with 22 points.
As they gear up for the second stanza, they will face Lobi Stars in their opening match of the final round later this month.
With renewed energy and focus, the club aims to improve on their performance and climb higher in the league standings.
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.
