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By Amaechi Agbo

On September 8, 1994, the Nigeria Premier Football League champion, Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Heartland) FC went for a Champions League match In Tunisia after winning the Nigerian League in 1993! On their way back to Owerri the Aeroplane crashed in Algeria with five occupants dead. Two players and three workers

30 years after, Heartland suffered similar fate, however, this time, it was on a road transport, had accident a coach was lost

While recounting what happened on September 18, 1994, Heartland’s Director of Communication Solomon Onu said it remains one of the saddest days in the history of the Naze Millionaires.

“The ill-fated flight of September 18, 1994, had players and officials of the then Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland of Owerri) who were in a quest for continental honours,” Onu explained.

“The Nigerian champions, Iwuanyanwu Nationale were returning from Tunisia where they had lost 3-0 to Esperance in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Champions (now Caf Champions League).”

In his tragic account of what transpired 25 years ago, Onu said when the chartered BAC 1-11 of the Oriental Airlines, owned by the club proprietor, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu took off, it had to contend with the early morning fog of the Sahara Desert region.

“So bad was the situation that the plane had to make an emergency landing at Agenat Airport, Tamanrasset in the Algerian Southern border with the Niger Republic,” he continued.

“In doing so, it crashed into a pole, then a lorry and finally into a fire station building.

“The aircraft had circled in the airspace for almost three hours. After a mighty explosion, the aircraft came to a halt.

“From the base of the badly mangled aircraft came 30 passengers alive. What a Miracle! Some were seriously wounded. But five, among them, two players, died.”

The players who lost their lives were a midfielder, Eghomwanre ‘Omale’ Aimanmwosa, and goalkeeper Uche Ikeogu.

The late pilot was identified as Captain Amaechi; the co-pilot, Captain Chinedu Ogbonna and an air steward, Obiageli Ezeh.

Badly injured were Okon Ating and 20 others. Among the survivors were former Nigeria skipper and ex-coach, Christian Chukwu, former National Sports Commission director, Steve Olarinoye Bola Oyebode of the Nigeria Football Federation and Chief Amanze Uchegbulam former NFF 1st Vice president.

Since then, the team appears not to have recovered from the tragedy as their 1993 triumph remained the last the lifted the league cup.

With less than 13 days to mark the 30th anniversary of the Algeria crash, Heartland FC once again was involved in another accident that claimed yet a life.

On Friday, August 23, the trleam were on their way to Ebonyi State for a Pre-season tournament when their car had accident in Olive leading to the death if their assistant coach, Christian Obi. Many players who were injured are receiving treatments in a hospital.

The heart breaking day saw the Heartland FC team departing the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri for the TICO/SELECT Ifeanyi Ekwueme Preseason Tournament. with enthusiasm at around 3:30pm in three vehicles but at about some minutes after 4pm, one of the vehicles rammed into a carelessly parked truck in its attempt to evade an oncoming vehicle.

“The driver tried as he could but the impact of the collision caused a sudden shock to our coach, Christian Obi who was unconscious with a slight injury to his right leg upon evacuation from the badly affected part of the bus.

“Coach Obi and other injured players were rushed to the nearby hospital at Okwelle in Onuimo LGA of Imo State but despite the best efforts of the medical personnel our revered coach gave up the ghost.

“Words alone cannot fully capture how the news of his death has thrown everyone at the club into deep mourning because of how precious Coach Obi was to the club.

“His name would continue to remain etched in the history of the club following the club’s unbeaten run in the Nigeria National League throughout the 2022-23 season a feat that culminated in the club winning the NNL Super 8 in Asaba, Delta State.

“We appreciate the concerns from all and sundry on the unfortunate incident but the club demands that its privacy and that of the Late Obi’s family be respected during this dark period. The club will not be making further statements for the time being, Heartland FC said in a statement

Coach Obi remains have since been deposited at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, (FUTH) morgue in Owerri while the injured have been referred to the same hospital for more proper care.