Heartland Ready For Promotion Battle – Amuneke

Heartland’s technical adviser, Emmanuel Amuneke, has declared his team’s readiness for the 2025/26 Nigeria National League (NNL) season. The Naze Millionaires are seeking an immediate return to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following their relegation last season.

The draw for the new NNL season took place in Abuja on Tuesday, with Heartland drawn in Southern Conference A alongside Crown FC, Edel FC, Sunshine Stars, E-World FC, Inter FC Lagos, Smart City FC, Godswill Akpabio United FC, Abia Comets, and Beyond Limits.

Amuneke expressed confidence in his team’s preparedness, stressing that the Owerri club will compete vigorously while respecting every opponent in the group.

“We have been anticipating the draw, and with what we have done since June when the team resumed rebuilding, we are ready to compete. It is a welcome development, and we respect all the teams in our group because they deserve to be there,” he told the club’s media.

The former Super Eagles winger noted the significant progress made since the club began its restructuring process, highlighting the blend of new signings and retained players as a key strength ahead of the new season. “Some of the players we used last season have left, and we have brought in new players. Our objective is to use this new crop, along with the retained ones, to achieve our goal of returning to the NPFL,” added Amuneke. “The new players are adapting very well, and I am pleased with their commitment. I can categorically say we are much better than last season because we’ve had more time to prepare and assess the team.”