We will not struggle in the NPFL, says Heartland's Ere Dokubo

Heartland technical director, Ere Dokubo has stressed that the new players added will help ensure that the Naze Millionaires do not struggle in the league ahead of their NPFL Match Day One clash with Kano Pillars in Kano on Sunday.

Dokubo noted that Heartland are targeting to contest for the league title or to aspire to finish strongly unlike last season when they narrowly missed demotion to the lower league by the whiskers.

“If you recall what happened last season and the calibre of players we have and compare it with the players that were unveiled by the team on Thursday, we generally believe that it will have positive effect on the team and by the grace of God with the tactical input from the technical crew definitely we will do well this season,” Dokubo told SportingLife.

“We cannot rule away mother luck but with the calibre of players we have if the technical crew, the management, and others in the club are able to do their own bit we will be able to get the right footing. We won’t experience what we had last season.

“The management of Heartland has given us a specific target at the beginning of the season and we will work towards that. Even if there is none, you should have the target for yourself and everybody as well. We are looking at either winning the league title or finishing well at the end of the season.”

Heartland will face Kano Pillars in their first league tie of the season at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano on Sunday in a reminisce of last season’s tie at the same turf when Junior Lokosa’s first-half double was enough to turn back the Owerri side 2-0 in Kano.