{"id":444193,"date":"2011-06-20T07:54:57","date_gmt":"2011-06-20T07:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/06\/20\/heartland-will-be-great-again-ndubuoke\/"},"modified":"2011-06-20T07:54:57","modified_gmt":"2011-06-20T07:54:57","slug":"heartland-will-be-great-again-ndubuoke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/20\/heartland-will-be-great-again-ndubuoke\/","title":{"rendered":"Heartland Will Be Great Again – Ndubuoke"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

17 June 2011<\/p>\n

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interview<\/p>\n

This has not been the best of times for Heartland Football Club of Owerri. It is now 18 years since theclub last won a trophy (the domestic league). The quest to bring back the glory days necessitated a change in the Management. But currently placed 12th on the log, not a few have wondered why a club that provides a large number of players to the national teams cannot be up there. There is actually more to Heartland’s dwindling fortunes than meets the eye. This much was revealed by General Manager of the club, Fan Ndubuoke<\/strong> in this interview. Excerpts:<\/em><\/p>\n

Eight months after assuming office as GM of Heartland, what has the experience been like?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My brother, it has not been easy at all. You know when I came into office, everything was on transit. From the playing personnel to the technical crew and, of course, the Management everything was in transition. We were to midwife a new generation of Heartland that would end the trophy drought. I mean, it is now 18 years since Heartland won any trophy and it is really a source of worry. In England, Arsenal has just gone six years without a trophy and everybody is screaming from the roof top but Heartland has gone 18 years without a trophy and it is really worrisome. For clubs who are not used to winning things, this may not be a problem but for a club like Heartland that once won the Nigerian League four consecutive times, the expectations are high.<\/p>\n

What was your brief when you assumed office? Was it to win trophies in your first season in charge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s what I’m telling you. You cannot take away the fact that the Heartland fans have been starved of trophies so the desire for some form of silverware is high. But when we assumed office, the brief was for us to ensure that we explore the business side of the club we were detailed to work out modalities that will ensure that soon the club will be self sustaining. That is exactly what we have done as we have brought some innovations into football administration in the country. We have put in place a world class Club House located right inside the Dan Anyiam Sports Complex. This is the first of its kind in this country. I stand to be corrected; no club has the type of office complex we have put in place. You have been there and you will testify to what I’m saying. We had to do that because we believe that you are addressed the way you dress. We wanted to create an enabling environment for the ground-breaking policies that should move the club forward. That Club House is a testament to our plans for the club. We have truly revolutionalised football administration in this country. The club is currently divided into three departments namely, the Marketing, Admin\/Finance and Technical. As I’m talking to you, I have just come to Abuja to negotiate a three-year kit sponsorship deal with a foreign firm.<\/p>\n

I really want to know how far you have gone in ensuring this club is self-sustaining<\/strong><\/p>\n

You are aware that I’m the CEO of Mr Fans. I am a successful business man. Before you can be able to run a public firm like Heartland well, you should have some record of running your personal business well. We have so far raked in N72m into the government coffers through our initiatives. Those in government circles were even amazed to know that the club could generate some money on its own.<\/p>\n

They were used to releasing money to the club Management but they were not used to the Management independently generating some money. In fact, our plan is that in the next two to three years, this club should be completely independent of the government for funding.<\/p>\n

But all these managerial milestones are not reflecting on the field of play.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I told you that we met a club on transit. When we assumed office, the previous Management had sacked the coaching duo of Kelechi Emeteole and Ben Iroha. In fact, when we were coming in, Samson Siasia was on his way out. He was one leg in, one leg out as he was already negotiating with Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). So, when he left, we had to promote the Feeder Team technical crew led by Emmanuel Osigwe to the main team. We found out that Osigwe was having difficulties coping with the demands of the big stage so we recruited Christian Chukwu on caretaker basis pending the arrival of the Dutch coach, Lodewijk de Kruif. We had to bring the Dutch because we needed someone who would help expose us at the international stage.<\/p>\n

In this part of the world, the sale of players constitutes a major source of revenue for clubs. So we wanted a coach who would boost our players’ marketability at the global level.<\/p>\n

All these are not commensurate with the results on the pitch.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was coming to that. The fact is that we have inherited a set of uncommitted players. Most of the players we have now were actually recruited by the past management. I think the criteria used in recruiting players in the past should be questioned. We can only be assessed at the end of the season when we would have the opportunity to recruit our own players. Players we believe should take the club to the next level. How can one explain the fact that against Pillars in Kano last Sunday, they had the game under their control and after a goalless first half, the team conceded three goals at regulation time. When we played Sharks in Port Harcourt, the boys missed five begging chances only for the hosts to score in their only attempt at goal.<\/p>\n

Why would you question the quality of players when most of your players are in the national teams?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you, that’s another problem. In total, we contribute 14 players to the various national teams; six in the Super Eagles, four in the U-20 team and four in the U-23 squad. But these players don’t seem to show the same commitment in the club’s colours. They seem to be resting their legs for the national teams.<\/p>\n

Most of these players were recruited by Samson Siasia and now that he is not in the team, they don’t seem to be committed. They put in their best when they are in the national team with Siasia. You see Ekigho Ehiosun. When he is not in the national team, he is active with Warri Wolves but our players give one excuse or the other to stay away from the team.<\/p>\n

So would you say the bulk of the club’s problems is with the playing personnel?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, and we are doing something about it. You are aware that we have placed the players on half salary till they turn our fortunes on the pitch. They have to be more committed. Now that you are talking about the problems of the club, I will like to point out here that we inherited a backlog of players’ sign-on fees dating back to 2009\/2010 season. We have only paid 20 percent of the sign-on fees but the backlog is really adding up to our woes. Whenever we go for away matches, ex-players who are being owed besiege our camp and create scenes. This is really a distraction. We have the onerous task of funding. The funds approved by the government are not commensurate with what is released. How promptly the funds are released is also important. The result is that we run to government every time for almost everything. This slows down our operations. We are also faced with saboteurs, so-called football technocrats in the state who are appalled that the current dispensation doesn’t favour them. These guys hang around and pray for the club’s downfall. When they come to our training sessions and matches, they don’t come to see the progress we have made but they come to see if their evil prayers are working. These saboteurs have penetrated the supporters, the FA, the players and even my staff. But all they desire is their selfish ends. But how can you explain the fact that a coach says he is the Jose Mourinho of Nigerian football but after leaving Heartland, he has not been snapped up by any other team and he is hanging around inciting everybody against the club.<\/p>\n

How has the new Governor Rochas Okorocha responded to the club’s situation?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I must point out that at a point I wanted to back-out but after meeting with His Excellency, I had a rethink. He assured me of his resolve to help change the fortunes of the club and I believe him because he is truly a sports-loving governor. He has shown his commitment to the club’s course by appointing Nwankwo Kanu as a Special Adviser on Sports in Imo State. The last time Heartland won the league in 1993, Kanu was in the squad. He is always welcomed in the club. He has also detailed another ex-international and son-of-the-soil Benedict Akwuegbu to work with the Management. With these, I am convinced we need him to turn-around the fortune of the club.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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