Amuneke blames poor start for Heartland's promotion miss
Heartland FC Technical Manager Emmanuel Amuneke has expressed mixed feelings following his team’s 1-0 win over Crown FC at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Saturday — admitting that a
- Honoured by Owerri clan leaders for service to football
Heartland FC Technical Manager Emmanuel Amuneke has expressed mixed feelings following his team's 1-0 win over Crown FC at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Saturday — admitting that a sluggish start to the campaign ultimately cost them promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League.
"The desire was to win, but we struggled in the first half and played to the pattern of Crown FC. We improved in the second half and created chances, but could only convert one," he said.
Reflecting on the season, Amuneke pointed to missed opportunities earlier in the campaign.
"When you look at the whole season, we missed promotion because of our poor start. We created chances but were not clinical. Football is about goals, and that affected our position."
He noted that individual errors compounded their early struggles, though the team steadied itself as the season wore on.
"In the first half of the season, there were many individual mistakes. We corrected that in the second half and brought in new players who stabilised the team. I am happy with our second-half-of-season performance."
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Heartland finished third with 27 points from 16 games, two points behind promoted Inter Lagos FC. Amuneke thanked Imo people for their support, adding: "Football is not easy, but we are following a process and system to achieve our objectives in the near future."
Meanwhile, Amuneke has received a fitting tribute when the President Generals of the five communities making up Owerri Nchi Ise Clan in Owerri Municipal honoured him for his dedication to grassroots football development.
The delegation, led by Osita Udemba, praised his commitment and assured him of continued support. The honour was also presented by Kenneth Ibeawuchi Njoku, Anyiam Ejiogu, Stanley Okoronkwo, and Austin Uba.
Imo FA Chairman Ifeanyi Dike commended the gesture, stressing the need to celebrate heroes while they are still active.
"We need to imbibe the culture of honouring and appreciating our heroes while they are with us. We are privileged to have Amuneke serving with humility and diligence, and he deserves our full support to revamp our sports," he said.
