El Kanemi Warriors 0-0 Heartland Report: Battling Naze Millionaires secure season’s first away point

Heartland FC fought really hard at the El Kanemi Sports Complex, Maiduguri on Sunday and have been rewarded with their first away point of the season in the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League season after a hard earned goalless draw against El Kanemi Warriors.

The Naze Millionaires only seven days earlier got their first victory of the season against Niger Tornadoes and in spite on long trip to Maiduguri, the team’s resolve was not broken as Emmanuel Amuneke led side got a valuable away draw against the Borno Army.

Amuneke elected to stick with Goalkeeper, Chukuebuka Nwokoecha who had kept two clean sheets from four games prior to the game while hard working Peters Afolayan, Ikwu Ejike, Christian Molokwu, and Benjamin Victor were preferred in the defence with Christian Nkwo helping Ikechukwu Mgbemena in the holding midfield role.

Itebu James and Tobi Iyanda mopped up the other midfield duties with Michael Ogu and Chukwuma Agor tasked with getting goals.

Goalkeeper Nwokoecha who had a busy day at the office was tested right from the sixth minute after he foiled a dangerous looking move from the El Kanemi Warriors attacker.

Almost immediately, Heartland’s leading scorer, Michael Ogu was presented with a decent chance to strike from a corner kick but his header failed to beat an alert El Kanemi Warriors Goalkeeper.

Nwokoecha was forced to come to the rescue of his teammates against in the 24th and 26th minutes as his crucial saves kept the game goalless.

It was the turn of Afolayan to intercept a vital cross from El Kanemi Warriors player into Heartland’s penalty area become it could wreak havoc in the 56th and 62nd minutes.

Rain began to fall in the 75th minute and it rendered some part of the pitch unplayable but Heartland FC players stood tall and defended everything that came their way until the referee signalled the final whistle to end hostilities. It was a hard fought point in Maiduguri.

Heartland FC will begin another long trip back to Owerri for a Matchday Seven game with Ikorodu City on Thursday.

El Kanemi Warriors XI:

Kolawole Oladipo, Usman Abbas, Bilal Yakubu, Zayyad Musa, Muktar Mohd, Monday Daniel, Samaila Bello, Muktar Ismail, Ibrahim Mustapha, Aminu Mohd, Al-Amin Umar

Substitutes

Abine George, Henry Ndedi, Salman Abubakar, Abdulrahman Olanrewaju, Clement Nnantuam, Muslim Suleiman, Gimba Ajiji, Bright Etaghara, Ibrahim Yahaya

Heartland FC XI:

Chukwuebuka Nwokoecha, Benjamin Victor, Ikwu Ejike, Christian Molokwu, Christian Nkwo, Peters Afolayan, Itebu James, Chukwuma Agor (Joshua Odo 65′), Ikechukwu Mgbemena, Tobi Ige, Michael Ogu (Surajudeen Lawal 65′)

Substitutes

Kelvin Ogunga, Chijioke Opara, Udochukwu Anumudu, Chuks Adoh, Joshua Odo, Charles Emmanuel, Surajudeen Lawal, Chinedu Chukwuma

Technical Manager: Emmanuel Amuneke