12th January, 2013
Nigeria’s Federation Cup Champions, Heartland FC of Owerri, on Saturday defeated Lobi stars of Makurdi, 2-0 to win the Super Four tournament in Kano.
The first half of the entertaining encounter ended goalless with both sides wasting scoring chances.
Heartland showed strength till the final whistle and it paid off.
Heartland striker, John Owoerri, who entered the field in the 65th minute, scored the first goal in the 70th minute, while substitute Emeka Ogbuh put the tie beyond Lobi Stars as he scored in the 90th minute.
Speaking after the game, Heartland handler, Ndubuisi Nduka, expressed happiness over the victory and commended his players for a brilliant performance.
“I am pleased with the performance of the boys in general and I also commend Lobi players for a job well done,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lobi Stars coach, Ernest Jupiter, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of his players in spite of losing the match.
“We missed so many chances, but I am happy with the performance of the boys,” Jupiter said.
In another encounter, Kano Pillars beat Enugu Rangers 2-0 to claim the N750,000 price money for the third place. The pre-season tournament was organised for the four clubs that will represent Nigeria in African clubs competitions during the year.