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Heartbreak for Heartland

Heartbreak for Heartland

Posted: 2009-11-07 16:59

Congolese side TP Mazembe claimed their third African title after beating Nigeria's Heartland 1-0 in the second leg of the CAF Champions League Final on Saturday.

The two-legged tie ended 2-2 on aggregate, but the Congolese side's away in goal in Owerri a week ago proved decisive.
 
Heartland captain ThankGod Ike's late own-goal following the substitution of injured first-choice goalkeeper Austin Brown proved enough to separate the sides but, in truth, the Congolese profited from their more positive tactics.
 
The Nigerians chose to try the risky tactic of defending their slim advantage from the first leg, and found themselves under near unbearable presure from the hosts in what was overall, a poor advertisement for African club football from both sides.

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Michael : 2009-11-07 17:22

Well,my much thought about fears have been confirmed.I knew that match was lost in Owerri after TP Mazembe scored that goal which gave them an advantage into the second leg.I knew TP Mazembe would finally secure the single goal needed to lift the trophy.TP Mazembe are a tough side and I knew it would be tough Heartland escaping without defeat.
Imo State have again gone 21 years without a trophy after the 1-4 aggregate loss by Iwuanyanwu Nationale to Entete Setif of Algeria in the African clubs champions cup final in 1988 in Constantine,Algeria.
Heartland at least have some consolatory cash prize money for coming second behind TP Mazembe.

1.The Heartland management/Imo State government should reward the players very well for coming this far and putting up a gallant fight in the final.
2.Part of this money realised should be used to beef up the team by buying some good,quality players around Africa for the 2010 CAF champions league competition and also purchasing quality sporting amenities needed by the team.

I only pray the second prize money Heartland realised would be well utilised for the benefit of the team and not go into the hands of some thieves whose thoughts have been and are having sleepless nights because of that money.


Michael
Houston,Texas.

Obi: 2009-11-07 17:22

Weeeell......too bad Heartland lost, but I'm really not surprised! After the 1st leg last week, it was a real mountain to climb for them, against an excellent attacking team. I didn't watch the match (Nigerian TV stations should cover their heads in shame!), but if the match was as bad as Colin Udoh says it was, then I have no hope for this December's Club World Cup.

Having said all these, I think Mazembe probably deserved the trophy this year. They've been consistent over the past several years on the continent, and their Management has invested a small fortune (by sub-saharan African standards, minus SA) in this year's competition. In addition, the Congolese people wanted this cup very badly, and you could see it in the seriousness with which they applied themselves to the contest. I've read that their local TV stations were saturated with broadcasts related to the match all week, and I'm sure that every station broadcast the match....much more than I can say about ourselves. These things communicate to the players themselves and spur them on. Very sad that Nigeria was not their to support Heartland in the run up to the first leg.....

Heartland exceeded my expectations for this year's Champions League (as well as Kano Pillars), and they have another shot at this trophy next year. This is the time to start planning, and I hope they and Bayelsa do us proud in the competition.

Machinery: 2009-11-07 17:24

Heartland you did not try anything, How can you just need only but draw but could not get it, i could remember when i was in Nigeria supporting my darling team Enyimba, all those Owerri boys from Imo state used to say that Enyimba was fake , now they have seen that it is not easy to win the CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. Even till tomorrow Enyimba is still the greatest. Now some foolish guys are saying the officating was bad, Even you Ben you are talking of names on the jerseys of TP Mazembe, what do names mean in the field of play, i can not say much beacuse i did not watch the match from my base here in Europe. FROM NOW EVERY BODY SHOULD SUPPORT ENYIMBA FOR LIFEEEEEEEEEEEEE....4ROM MACHINERY OF ABA ENYIMBA CITYYYYY

Michael : 2009-11-07 17:27

Well,my much thought about fears have been confirmed.I knew that match was lost in Owerri after TP Mazembe scored that goal which gave them an advantage into the second leg.I knew TP Mazembe would finally secure the single goal needed to lift the trophy.TP Mazembe are a tough side and I knew it would be tough Heartland escaping without defeat.
Imo State have again gone 21 years without a trophy after the 1-4 aggregate loss by Iwuanyanwu Nationale to Entete Setif of Algeria in the African clubs champions cup final in 1988 in Constantine,Algeria.
Heartland at least have some consolatory cash prize money for coming second behind TP Mazembe.

1.The Heartland management/Imo State government should reward the players very well for coming this far and putting up a gallant fight in the final.
2.Part of this money realised should be used to beef up the team by buying some good,quality players around Africa for the 2010 CAF champions league competition and also purchasing quality sporting amenities needed by the team.

I only pray the second prize money Heartland realised would be well utilised for the benefit of the team and not go into the hands of some thieves whose thoughts have been and are having sleepless nights because of that money.


Michael
Houston,Texas.

Machinery: 2009-11-07 17:29

Heartland you did not try anything, How can you just need only but draw but could not get it, i could remember when i was in Nigeria supporting my darling team Enyimba, all those Owerri boys from Imo state used to say that Enyimba was fake , now they have seen that it is not easy to win the CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. Even till tomorrow Enyimba is still the greatest. Now some foolish guys are saying the officating was bad, Even you Ben you are talking of names on the jerseys of TP Mazembe, what do names mean in the field of play, i can not say much beacuse i did not watch the match from my base here in Europe. FROM NOW EVERY BODY SHOULD SUPPORT ENYIMBA FOR LIFEEEEEEEEEEEEE....4ROM MACHINERY OF ABA ENYIMBA CITYYYYY

Festus: 2009-11-07 17:42

well done to Heartland, the officiating was very very poor.

sly1: 2009-11-07 18:04

NAWA for my country. We have players, but we always lack coaches.How can you try to defend a 2-1 lead knowing that any mistake means you lose. Such a shame. OWN GOAL!!!Everyone knows attack is the best form of defence
Now you will come home and start afresh for next year, when you could have seized your chance when you had it.

Doyin: 2009-11-07 18:07

For God`s shake,how could a team defend for 90min?...,I felt for the players.Defensive football has never paid,it always puts ur team under immense pressure.The Coach should be held responsible for this defeat.Wrong tactics...!
I salute the players.

nelson: 2009-11-07 18:55

@Ben..are you sure you watched the same match we all watched?the officiating was one of the best i have ever seen in an away match invloving two African teams.be that as it may,Heart does not deserve to win that match.they played defensive all through.coach Dike is bereft of ideal.lets stop being sentiment here.

Lexy: 2009-11-07 18:55

I absolutely agree with Colin Udoh that the display, especially by our own Heartland was a shame to African football.

What kind of coach would, in his right senses, tell his players to defend a slim margin of 2-1. The Heartland technical crew should be blamed for the negative tactics they employed. The own goal, by Ike Thankgod, was as result of persistent pressure on Heartland's defense. I was not impress at all with what I saw this afternoon. It was total rubbish. Kano Pillars would have done better.

ABDULRAZAK: 2009-11-07 19:17

I THINK HEARTLAND SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR PLAYING AT THE FINAL. THE COACH DID THEM A DISSERVICE WITH HIS MACABRE TACTICS.

nelson: 2009-11-07 19:24

if Eyimba were the one that had the opportunity of playing in this final,am 100% they will lift that cup.main looking at paul Dike's old fashioned coat,you will definately agree with me that the match was already lost.

jeff: 2009-11-07 19:56

bravo to heartland but i wanna know why is it that nigerian indigenious coaches always have 'DRAW MINDSET' whenever they re playing an away match???[amodu against tunisia in tunis,emotele against mazembe in congo]... thats why i hardly bet my money on them
just like @sly1 and @doyin said, how could you defend a 2-1 lead for 90mins knowing that a goal against you can make you loose the game
every coach aim in a match is to win, but here in nigeria ,our coaches seems to employ this OLD SCHOOL TACTICTS of defending a slim lead away.
do we call it technical incompetence or fear????
once again kudos to heartland for getting to the finals and loosing gallantly.

jeff: 2009-11-07 19:58

@nelson ,kelechi emetole is heartland fc coach and not alphonsos dike

nelson: 2009-11-07 20:04

Kickoff stop deleting my message.e no easy to write.

nelson: 2009-11-07 20:09

@jeff..thanks.anyway,i no send them sef so there coach name no concernd me.

jeff: 2009-11-07 20:12

lol

jeff: 2009-11-07 20:22

lol

Toluwase: 2009-11-07 22:36

Never mind my dealing brothers and sisters,God will surely heal our wounds in Jesus name.This year will not just pass by. I can foresee Nigeria qualifying for the world cup and our Eaglets winning the world cup on the 14th & 15th respectively. So shall it be in Jesus name. If you believe and have faith reply Amen to this comment.

kessy: 2009-11-07 23:01

This is just a terrible year for Nigeria football.

Segun: 2009-11-08 01:33

Nigerians could be so unfair. I do not support the defensive display the coach adopted but he is not the only coach that does that. Even top coaches in Europe adopt the strategy occasionally. We have to take the positives out of this. This is the first time Heartland will be featuring in the CL for a long time and the team will be back there next year. Why can't we see this as a preparatory ground for next year where the team can go all the way. It has happened to Enyimba in the past. To be candid, it would have been tough for Heartland to win. I was following the preview on BBC and I was surprised how the whole Congolese populace were behind their team. Jerseys were designed with the inscription of TP Mazembe, Champions League Champion 2009. The backing was just a semblance of what we had when Enyimba won the trophy. Someone can claim that Enyimba is the best team in Nigeria but the team could not have done that without the support of the whole country which Heartland did not have. Judging by the report in goal.com, the team was not given adequate support. The players were in jerseys not fit for a professional club. The team even made the way to the final, without having a number of their best players in most of the games because of national engagement. In fact, Stanley Okoro was missing in the final. I congratulate Mazembe for the feat. Congo would have been thrown into a sad mood if the team had lost after $5 million investment (far more than the prize money). Even the best player of the team rejected several overtures from foreign clubs so as to help his team win the Champions league, a case of sheer patriotism. Kano Pillars would not have fared better, why did the team lose so embarassingly in the semi and since then, the team is yet to recover with the suspension of the coach of the team. Let's take the positive out of this year's competition and hope that Heartland will be back better next year. The best time to learn is when you make mistake. With the unpopular tactic of the coach, the team was just 17 minutes away from glory before the bubble bursts. Let's hope that the year can still end very well for soccer in Nigeria. We can only continue to hope ........

Segun: 2009-11-08 01:36

Nigerians could be so unfair. I do not support the defensive display the coach adopted but he is not the only coach that does that. Even top coaches in Europe adopt the strategy occasionally. We have to take the positives out of this. This is the first time Heartland will be featuring in the CL for a long time and the team will be back there next year. Why can't we see this as a preparatory ground for next year where the team can go all the way. It has happened to Enyimba in the past. To be candid, it would have been tough for Heartland to win. I was following the preview on BBC and I was surprised how the whole Congolese populace were behind their team. Jerseys were designed with the inscription of TP Mazembe, Champions League Champion 2009. The backing was just a semblance of what we had when Enyimba won the trophy. Someone can claim that Enyimba is the best team in Nigeria but the team could not have done that without the support of the whole country which Heartland did not have. Judging by the report in goal.com, the team was not given adequate support. The players were in jerseys not fit for a professional club. The team even made the way to the final, without having a number of their best players in most of the games because of national engagement. In fact, Stanley Okoro was missing in the final. I congratulate Mazembe for the feat. Congo would have been thrown into a sad mood if the team had lost after $5 million investment (far more than the prize money). Even the best player of the team rejected several overtures from foreign clubs so as to help his team win the Champions league, a case of sheer patriotism. Kano Pillars would not have fared better, why did the team lose so embarassingly in the semi and since then, the team is yet to recover with the suspension of the coach of the team. Let's take the positive out of this year's competition and hope that Heartland will be back better next year. The best time to learn is when you make mistake. With the unpopular tactic of the coach, the team was just 17 minutes away from glory before the bubble bursts. Let's hope that the year can still end very well for soccer in Nigeria. We can only continue to hope ........

Segun: 2009-11-08 01:37

Nigerians could be so unfair. I do not support the defensive display the coach adopted but he is not the only coach that does that. Even top coaches in Europe adopt the strategy occasionally. We have to take the positives out of this. This is the first time Heartland will be featuring in the CL for a long time and the team will be back there next year. Why can't we see this as a preparatory ground for next year where the team can go all the way. It has happened to Enyimba in the past. To be candid, it would have been tough for Heartland to win. I was following the preview on BBC and I was surprised how the whole Congolese populace were behind their team. Jerseys were designed with the inscription of TP Mazembe, Champions League Champion 2009. The backing was just a semblance of what we had when Enyimba won the trophy. Someone can claim that Enyimba is the best team in Nigeria but the team could not have done that without the support of the whole country which Heartland did not have. Judging by the report in goal.com, the team was not given adequate support. The players were in jerseys not fit for a professional club. The team even made the way to the final, without having a number of their best players in most of the games because of national engagement. In fact, Stanley Okoro was missing in the final. I congratulate Mazembe for the feat. Congo would have been thrown into a sad mood if the team had lost after $5 million investment (far more than the prize money). Even the best player of the team rejected several overtures from foreign clubs so as to help his team win the Champions league, a case of sheer patriotism. Kano Pillars would not have fared better, why did the team lose so embarassingly in the semi and since then, the team is yet to recover with the suspension of the coach of the team. Let's take the positive out of this year's competition and hope that Heartland will be back better next year. The best time to learn is when you make mistake. With the unpopular tactic of the coach, the team was just 17 minutes away from glory before the bubble bursts. Let's hope that the year can still end very well for soccer in Nigeria. We can only continue to hope ........

Barry: 2009-11-08 02:24

CAN MY DEAR FORUMITES GO THROUGH THIS COLUMN PLS ITS SO SHAMEFUL OF NIGERIA FOOTBALL AT THE VERGE OF WAY ITS TAKING ROOT. (http://www.goal.com/en/news/1656/nigeria/2009/11/07/1610717/comment-nigeria-is-not-proud-of-africas-second-best)

Barry: 2009-11-08 02:32

CAN MY DEAR FORUMITES GO THROUGH THIS COLUMN PLS ITS SO SHAMEFUL OF NIGERIA FOOTBALL AT THE VERGE OF WAY ITS TAKING ROOT. (http://www.goal.com/en/news/1656/nigeria/2009/11/07/1610717/comment-nigeria-is-not-proud-of-africas-second-best)

nelson: 2009-11-08 10:57

@segun,this is medicine after dearth.no amount of explanation will percify Nigerians concerning the accient defensive play displayed by Heartland yesterday which eventually cost them the cup.Eyimba reached the final for the first time and lifted the cup.probably if Gov. Ikedi Ohakim had remained with PPA,the party members wuld have thought him the secret of winning the cup,but he decided to defect to the people's destruction party PDP.

collins: 2009-11-08 12:54

i did not watched the match so i can't say much,but i think hearthland lost the cup right away from the first leg.if the claimed of the defensive display by heartland is true.that shows they did not have confidence in themselves,cos lets us imagine the first leg ended in one all,are they not oblige to look for a goal in congo.moreso,lets stop this negatives comment after loosing and look forward for better solutions next time,blaming officiating,coach,players the cup has gone to congo.

ola: 2009-11-08 13:09

is time for caf to use neutral ground for finals of all caf competitions they should put stop to this two legged patern so that african football can inprove

najafi: 2009-11-08 14:36

I'M HAPPY TP MAZEMBE WON THE CAF CHAMPION LEAGUE, FOR HEARTLAND ALL I SAY IS HARD LUCK ATLEAST U CAN FEEL HOW WE THE PILLASIANS FEEL WEN U USE UR JUJU TO DEFEAT US 4-O.

najafi: 2009-11-08 14:43

shame to u heartland u raelly disappoint us, u noe u are not capable of winning the trophy u should have atleast top ur group so that the pillasians will take care of tp mazembe as they did to the super giant of egypt i.e al ahaly. sha hardluck nexttime try and face reality. UP KANO PILLARS, PILLARS 4 LYF.

patercias: 2009-11-08 15:08

I congratulate my lovely team tp mazembe for punishin this dreamer heartland, I told fellow nigerian before even the first leg that none nigerian's team can compete mazembe, now they can believe that they cant intimided congolese, they always thing being on top forgeting that us (congolese) are better than them, u niga are just mouthy and terrorist, we watch the game and nigerian were like fool, how can u concide 22 corner against 3, so so stupid team (heartland or heartbreak?) we are the best and you must learn from us, u will never see supporter like the one for mazembe, watch and see what I am talking about. go mazembe go go

jeff: 2009-11-08 16:06

and here comes one of those morons named PATERCIAS OR PATRICIA, who again left his brain at home before leaving,: go get them lad or else you will be kicked around in this forum
you re calling nigeria terrorist??, hahahaha, you gotta be nuts to say that mate.
no matter how you see nigeria dude, i'll always prefer nigeria to your gabbage country DR congo any time,any day..dude try and visit nigeria and i tell you,you wil denounce congo.
so dude try and comment on football matters and leave terrorism out of football
Anyways no sense trying to educate those without brains

ABDULRAZAK: 2009-11-08 21:59

@JEFF, WHY BOTHER WITH CLOWNS SUCH AS @PATERCIAS? THE ONE AND ONLY TIME DR CONGO OR ZAIRE AS THEY WERE THEN CALLED, APPEARED AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP, WAS IN 1974 AND THEY GOT KICKED SILLY, LOSING 9-0 TO FORMER YUGOSLAVIA! ITS A SHAME THERE IS NO INSTALLED SOFTWARE ON THIS SITE TO KEEP OUT COMMENTS FROM MORONS LIKE @PATERCIAS AND HIS COHORTS.

mike: 2009-11-08 23:02

The game of football basically matters who wins; as it stands am totally disappointed on the heartland players, despite all the necessary efforts made by the management, SHAME ON TO THE PLAYERS. They all need to be penalized and there should be total overhaul of my beloved team heartland fc.
mike germany

Big: 2009-11-09 11:57

It is unfortunate that Heartland lost the cup to TP on the away goals rule. It is also bad that the goal the NAZE MILLIONAIRES conceeded was an own goal. We should not forget that this is the first time in the competition's history that the away goal rule will be used to decide the winner of the CAF CL. It is clear that both sides are good and equally matched as the four head to head games involving both teams ended 2 all on aggregate. The officiating was poor and right under the nose of Issa Hayattou, we can see it was a gang up against an Anglofone team by Francofone guys. If not, how can the centre referee and his assistants be pushing an injured Heartland player out of the field of play? Heatland's game plan almost worked as they tried to soak all the pressure from TP and catch them on occasional breaks and were only unlucky to conceed an own goal. Even coach Emetole confessed on Milo world of sports on Ray Power FM this morning that right from the time the team touched down in Congo, they were faced with constant harrassment. Nigeria should also be hostile to visiting teams as our teams get harrassed and molested everytime they go outside our shores for competitions. We all remember what happened to Enyimba in Egypt against Ismaili. Like the UEFA CL, the CAF CL final should be a one legged affair on a neutral ground to forestall any undue advantage.

choky: 2009-11-09 14:36

all of here talking aginst hearthland are fools . u people are hypocrites after all it was 2-2 draw but with this stupid away goal cvausued them . is it easy to play in the fginals of chmpions league . somebody here said they used juju on kano pilars . his an idiot ateam beat u home and away u said is juju wowe bi tide u . the first leg wasa disaster with the big rain down pour it affected hearthlalnd big time but the managed . finals anything can happen . so u people should not blame them nobody expected them before this time to play in the final .hearthland it,s football . so bear it in mind it will come aagin .greetings from poland.

yinka: 2009-11-09 17:52

Wait till November 14th Super eagles may try this same tactic score and then try to defend when they need to win in Kenya outright. attack from start to finish.

Richmond: 2009-11-10 02:58

Up Great Heartland FC.
You are a great team and I salute you for going thus far.You are second in africa. And I know that if you have a very good support henceforth you will get the cup any time soon.You played your hearts out and the better team won.I wish i watched you play in Mazembe play ground.

The so called machinery that compared you with Enyimba does not know the meaning of being a patriotic Nigerian.He just needs to grow up. I love Enyimba, I love Heartland FC more.

Richmond
USA

patercias: 2009-11-12 18:54

Hey, here is Pat again, let me remind you congo is the first african country to go to that world, stop ashaming nigeria, there is nothing that why you peoples are running all over the world to hit people's money, we not gona see you in south africa for the wc, although my country withdraw, there is nothing you can compare like your boring football with ours, talk the like of ghana, cameroun, egypt, not you talkative igbo (laugh( anyway I love all my niga friend here in UK, no money no friendship that what they use to say. But go and defend against kenya for 90minutes you will get punish again as we punish you, Kanu should retire...oletuye, emeka,ifany, solomon are very good friend to Patercias, whoever know football will tell you nigera got the african cup twice and congo three times, respect. we will always silence you. Pat