By

Sab Osuji 

Architect Eze Okechukwu, a football freak and a regular face at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, each time Heartland play, has cried out at what he believes was a grand plan by 'unseen forces' to derail the Naze Millionaires.

Okechukwu said on Monday that the way and manner Heartland matches at home and away was being handled suggests of a possible ploy to derail the team.

He wondered why the club appears to be losing games they were not supposed to just because the rules appear to be bent whenever Heartland was involved.

"I'm not based here in Owerri. I come here each time they have a match for my love for the club and the game. I also travel to watch them at away matches whenever it doesn't clash with my work", starts Okechukwu in an interview on Monday.

"But I don't understand what's going on these days as regards officiating of their matches. I've witnessed this a couple of times in Owerri and there has been such complains after their matches in Ibadan and just yesterday (Sunday October 20) at Yenagoa and you begin to wonder if a different officiating rule has been fashioned out only for Heartland games outside the normal rules of the game as designed by FIFA.

"It has gotten to the level that I began to wonder if some match officials are on a mission to destabilise the club or get at someone there or is there any unseen forces trailing the club", he querried furiously.

Apparently to buttress his point, the Architect continued.

"When a witch cries in the night and the baby dies in the morning, it raises some pertinent questions.
Heartland has been 'butchered' severally in the current season with some inexplicable refereeing decisions which do not follow the spirit and letters of the laws of the game.
The recurring nature of this obnoxious decisions suggests that there is more to this than meets the eyes.

"If this is the first, then it could be dismissed as happenstance; a second could be a coincidence but a 3rd and fourth suggest a pattern, a deliberate and intentional plot to undermine the team through every means available", he said before going ahead to roll out instances he felt the club was unjustly 'cheated'.

"The game at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, is a case study where an obvious penalty was denied and a legitimate goal was chalked off in the most inexplicable manner.

"At home against Ikorodu City, just last Thursday in Owerri, in the second half, Ikorodu City goalkeeper 'wrestled' down a goal-bound Heartland striker, which, in my view view and rules of the game which we watch even on our television sets,  should have resulted in a penalty and red card, but the referee looked away. 

Later in the 80th minute other same game, an Ikorodu player extended his arm to stop the ball from going into the net and again, the referee looked in the other direction.

"If the earlier stated incidents were not enough, things went a step further on Sunday in Yenegoa.
As Early as the 1st Minute a good goal by Toby Iyanda  was chalked off for offside in the 3rd and 4th minutes a Heartland attack was caught short by the referees whistle.

"Same bizarre officiating continued in the second half with the match official using his whistle to stifle the team until Bayelsa scored, a goal that even has an 'offside' look which he quickly acknowledged.

"Referees are humans, no doubt but when it clearly appears such calls were only going in direction, then something is wrong somewhere.

"Heartland's effort to equalize was stopped by the referee using phantom offside calls, sounding the whistle for little or no contact.

"A Bayelsa Utd striker took out Christian Molukwu minutes before the goal.
He kicked him on his knee and femur but the referee failed to caution the aggressor for a career threatening tackle. Afoloyan Peter was kicked in the head severally yet the culprits were not punished.

"The question is why has Heartland been selected to be slain by the referees? .
Is there an agenda ?,is there a plan? is there a verdict against the club which the referees are trying to implement?. These incidents have forced me to ask if anyone is on a mission to sink the club and if yes, why?", he querried.

Okechukwu further disclosed that fans of the club applauded the team when they lost at home to Enyimba in the opening match of the season because they believe and appreciated the efforts of the 'new team' under the leadership of Emmanuel Amuneke MFR, stressing that the fans have shown faith and resilience during these trying moments.

He added that lovers of Heartland and Amuneke are worried about the hatchet job against the club as being orchestrated by referees and their co- conspirators .

He added: "Just like Moses came to Pharaoh to ask for the emancipation of his people. Lovers of Heartland and Amuneke are asking all Pharaohs against the club and her success to leave the club in peace.

"It is not a crime for the club to reap the fruits of her labour; it's not a crime for the club to get what she deserves. Heartland deserve the best. Heartland deserve peace. Heartland doesn't deserve to be haunted, and should be allowed to breathe", he concluded.