Amuneke: Heartland’s Poor First Stanza Cost Promotion Despite Final-Day Victory

Emmanuel Amuneke, Heartland FC’s Technical Manager, admits the team blew its promotion chance with a slow start to their 2025/26 NNL campaign. He spoke after Heartland’s 1-0 win over Crown FC in the final Conference A fixture at Dan Anyiam Stadium. Amuneke lamented that despite creating many chances in the first stanza, his side lacked clinical finishing. He believes those missed opportunities early in the season ultimately cost them an automatic return to the NPFL. The former Super Eagles winger praised the impact of new signings in the second stanza and thanked the club’s fans for their unwavering support. He remains optimistic about following the team’s process and system to achieve promotion in the near future. Reflecting on the narrow win over Crown FC, Amuneke admitted the match was tough but reiterated that effectiveness in front of goal mattered most. Jonathan Osondu’s 82nd-minute strike secured third place on the table with 27 points.

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