Heartland FC will have a good platform to negotiate their first league win of the season when they face Bendel Insurance of Benin at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri in one of the Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 12 ties billed for today.
The Naze Millionaires are still buoyed by their hard fought goalless draw against Shooting Stars on Sunday in Ibadan and after rounding off the preparations for the fixture with the Benin Arsenals on Tuesday the Kennedy Boboye led side remained focus on the task of securing their maiden league win of the campaign.
History favoured Heartland FC to edge today tie with Bendel Insurance yet to secure a point off the Owerri side from their four previous meetings in the league.
As made available to Nigeriasoccernet.com by Heartland FC media, two of fixtures decided in the 2005 season were played when the Naze Millionaires were still recognized as Iwuanyanwu Nationale as per Tribuna com.
Their first topflight meeting was on 29th May, 2005 in Owerri and Heartland FC (then known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale) won the fixture 2-0 in Owerri and under the same nomenclature, they completed a double over the Benin Arsenals on November 5th, 2005 winning the tie 2-1 in Benin City.
Despite the change of name to Heartland FC, the status quo was still maintained in the 2007-2008 season when the Owerri side triumphed 3-0 at home on September 23rd 2007 and also repeated the same scores when they met in the reverse fixture on March 12th 2008 in Benin.
Bendel Insurance did beat Heartland FC 1-0 through Imade Osarenkhoe's goal on May 24th, 2023 in Awka in a Federation Cup fixture when the Owerri side were still in the lower league last season but the Owerri side's unblemished record in the league still remains unbridled.
Heartland FC Technical Adviser, Kennedy Boboye told the club's Media that he is aware of the task ahead of their fixture with Bendel Insurance and that the players have been told to redouble their effort than they did against Shooting Stars last weekend.
The Naze Millionaires got their first clean sheet of the season in Ibadan but Boboye implored his players not to get carried away yet as they confront Bendel Insurance who have only conceded five goals from 11 games and have kept eight clean sheets this season.
"The players fought very well in Ibadan and they got a point. They have been commended on that. They know we cannot continue to dwell on that with another game against Bendel Insurance on Wednesday," Boboye began in a chat.
"We are not where we ought to be but the players know that we can continue to push one another to achieve the results we want. Bendel Insurance are a good side but my boys will strive to play as a team to get a win."
Bendel Insurance haven't changed much from the unbeaten side of last season, they have won four league games, drew five and lost two.
They have a very disciplined defence with Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Amas Obasogie behind Taminu Benjamin, Sunday Anyanwu, Stephen Sodje and Evans Ogbonda.
Insurance with Monday Odigie in charge, sixth on the league table with 17 points, will also rely on the agility of Chisom Okereke, Ismael Sarki, Stanley Okorom, Tamara Ezekiel among others.
The game billed for the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri starts by 4pm and Heartland fans and supporters are enjoined to storm the stands in show of support for the Naze Millionaires.
Heartland vs Bendel Insurance Head to Head:
12-03-2008 Heartland 3-0 Bendel Insurance
23-09-2007 Bendel Insurance 0-3 Heartland
5-11-2005 Bendel Insurance 1-2 Heartland
29-5-2005 Heartland 2-0 Bendel Insurance
Then known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale
By Olaleye Oluwadamilola