Heartland Wants Oriental Derby Moved

The management of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Heartland has said categorical no to the ‘Friday Night Football’ oriental derby at Enugu Rangers.

The Naze Millionaires are billed to be the guests of neighbours, Enugu Rangers in Friday’s NPFL matchday 19 clash at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.
An official of the Owerri outfit, Solomon Onuh said though the management of Heartland welcomes wholeheartedly the new practices by the League Management Company (LMC) to shore up the domestic league those innovations should consider the precious life of the prime actors in the change.
“Management and players have said outright no to the demand by LMC for the side to head to Enugu for the Friday’s Night Football at Enugu Rangers on Friday.

“We truly liked the innovations but not at the detriment of human life which the order seems to overlook.
“We cannot finish the midweek match-day 18 clash against Plateau United then travel to Enugu on Thursday to engage Enugu Rangers on Friday that will be too demanding and tedious on the part of the entire team.

“It does not make sense or serve the purpose for us to sacrifice human life to meet the demand of Friday Night Football.
“We just returned from Kano on Monday after the Sunday match at Kano Pillars and here we are on Tuesday training for another crucial game on Wednesday against Plateau United and somebody deems it fair on us to head off to Enugu on Thursday to play on Friday against a difficult opponents, Enugu Rangers.
“The same LMC that wants us to play Rangers on Friday has carefully shifted the side’s midweek match at El Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri to Wednesday, June 01.

“For us to give our very best in the match we want the LMC to move the oriental derby to Saturday or preferably on Sunday but Friday is completely a wrong date for the match,” said Onuh to supersport.com.
The Owerri-based side have Wednesday NPFL match-day 18 date against the Tin City side at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.