Players and officials of former Nigeria Premier Football League side Heartland FC are en route to Owerri, the capital of Imo State, following a serious accident that disrupted their journey to Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, for the Ifeanyi Ekwueme TICO/SELECT Pre-season Tournament on Friday.
The club reported that the accident occurred at Umunna, near Okigwe in Imo State. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Some players and officials who sustained injuries received first-aid treatment at a nearby facility and will continue their treatment in Owerri.
Heartland FC’s spokesperson, Tunde Liadi, indicated that although the accident involved one of the three buses the team was traveling in, the remaining two buses were used to transport everyone to Owerri. The vehicle involved in the crash collided with a stationary vehicle left beside the road while trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle, which had been involved in a previous accident.
Heartland FC recently faced relegation to the Nigeria National League for the third time in their history after a 4-1 defeat to Remo Stars in an NPFL match in June. They are set to return to the second tier just one season after being promoted to the top flight. Ex-international and FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning coach Emmanuel Amuneke has been recently appointed as the new coach for the upcoming 2024/25 season.
