Any hope for embattled Heartland FC?

‘Nothing dey shock me again’ is a popular line in the spicy song Olofofo by the artist Victor AD. I want to say that nothing about the unprofessional behaviour of the clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), shocks me again. If anyone insists that what we are witnessing in the NPFL is anything close to professionalism, he is economical with the truth. I reiterate that, going by the way the clubs are administered, they are nothing more than glorified amateur clubs.

The recent decision by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to bring back the former technical adviser of Heartland FC, Christian Obi is one of the absurdities in the NPFL. It will be recalled that after a string of poor results, the former Nigerian international was sacked by the management of the club. He was replaced by another former international, Keneddy Boboye. When the former winner of the NPFL with Plateau United took over Heartland, they were last on the log, with a miserable six points from nine matches. The ‘Nazi millionaires’ as Heartland are called had played nine matches without a win.

However, even as Heartland were deep in relegation waters, Boboye, who had been without a club since he left Akwa United under controversial circumstances, accepted to go on the rescue mission in Owerri. It is on record that Heartland’s first victory in the current NPFL season came under Boboye in their week 12 match against Bendel Insurance. They went on to win two additional matches, one draw and three losses which lifted them from the 20th position to the present 17th on the table.

Sadly, before Boboye could settle down to save the ‘Nazi millionaires’ from the relegation that is staring them in the face, the coach was asked to give way for the same coach who plunged them into relegation to come back and continue from where he had stopped. Even the 3-1 thrashing of table-topping Remo Stars by Boboye’s Heartland in week 16 didn’t change the mind of the governor who appeared to have made up his mind to reward mediocrity.

I didn’t watch the post-match interview, but I read somewhere that Boboye was in tears when he announced his departure after the match against Remo Stars. It is said he attributed the quick turnaround in Heartland during his short spell to his players and supporters of the club. It was also reported that he said that since he started his coaching career, he hadn’t been shown such love as the one he found in Owerri. It is important to know that Boboye had coached Abia Warriors, Akwa United, and Plateau United. Now, you know where the Rivers State-born gaffer was given a cold shoulder.

It is, therefore, possible that if actually Boboye failed to hold back his tears, it was because he felt pained that he was denied an opportunity to prove once again that he is one of the best coaches in the land. If in only seven matches, he was able to lift Heartland out of the relegation zone, it wouldn’t be out of place to say he would have transformed the club to finish among the top teams. Of course, after week 16 matches, only 13 points are separating table-topping Remo Stars from Heartland. We all know that just one away victory can change the fate of a drowning club in the NPFL.

Now, the question begging for the answer is, what really is Imo State’s plan for Heartland? If a coach who proved to be incapable of bettering the fortunes of the club is preferred to the one who quickly reset the club on the path of success, what exactly is the plan or intention of the state government? Is there a deliberate effort to send Heartland back to the lower division? It will be recalled that Heartland are one of the four clubs that returned to the NPFL from the Nigeria National League (NNL) at the beginning of this season. After a brief stay in the NNL, they returned to the Nigerian top flight along with Kano Pillars, Katsina United, and Sporting Lagos. As a matter of fact, Heartland didn’t only return to the NPFL, they did so in style by winning the 2023 NNL title in Asaba.

Unfortunately, instead of building on that remarkable achievement, Heartland and on its way to another relegation. At the moment, the players and officials of the club are said to be poorly motivated. Consequently, many tagged Boboye as a miracle worker for winning three matches with the ill-equipped club. Unfortunately, the man who staked his hard-earned reputation to keep Heartland in the NPFL has been sacrificed. Truth be told, if the results that were recorded before Boboye took over the club are anything to go by, it will be very difficult for the ‘millionaires’ to survive the drop.

While I sympathise with coach Boboye, I want to say that what happened to him didn’t come to me as a surprise because it is a recurring decimal in the NPFL. Most clubs are sponsored by the state governments, so they are usually seen as public relations outlets. The clubs are funded to engage the youths and enrich some cronies who had helped the governor when he was campaigning to be elected. Therefore, some of the governors fail to detach football from other youth empowerment programmes. As stated earlier, they use the clubs to settle the ‘boys’, and that leaves the clubs in the hands of those who are not qualified to run even an amateur club.

The case of Heartland is even worse because it has been reported that the return of Obi was ordered by the governor. One is tempted to ask what informed that controversial decision. How much does the governor know about Heartland and football in general? Maybe what happened is basically a case of power tussle. It could be that the sacked coach used his friends in politics to compel the governor to bring him back. In such situations, primordial sentiments usually come into play. Those who worked for the return of Obi must have told the governor that a son of the soil shouldn’t be replaced with an ‘outsider’ or ‘foreigner’.

Well, there is no need to cry over spilt milk because Boboye has since accepted his removal in good faith. However, what must be condemned vehemently is the manner in which NPFL coaches are sacked with reckless abandon. Not long ago, on the basis of flimsy reasons, Tony Bolus was sacked by Katsina United’s caretaker committee. During their unveiling, NPFL coaches usually display appointment letters and contract papers. Unfortunately, when they are sacked, no one hears anything like compensation for them. Then, what type of contracts do NPFL coaches enter into with the clubs? I think the Nigerian Football Coaches Association will have to look into the indiscriminate sacking of their members by the clubs. What really was Boboye’s offence? Was he sacked because he revived Heartland’s faltering campaign? Was he engaged just to steady the ship for Obi to come back and continue in his position? What exactly is wrong with the embattled ‘millionaires’?