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The widely reported return of Owerri-based Heartland FC to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), following their alleged purchase of a venue owned by Ikenne-based Beyond Limits FA, might not be true after all.
This was stated by the Chairman of the Imo State Football Association, Barrister Ifeanyi Dike, who revealed in an exclusive interview with sports247.ng that talks are still ongoing on the matter.
Dike confirmed that efforts have been made to help Heartland buy the NPFL spot recently won by Beyond Limits when they won the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super-6 in Enugu, but stressed that a deal is yet to be finalised.
The Imo FA boss also acknowledged that he read media reports claiming that The Naze Millionaires were back in the NPFL after a N350 million takeover deal with the Ikenne newcomers but described it as a rumour.
Dike told sports247.ng on Friday evening over the phone: “Actually, it is the same way we have seen the story for more than two days now; but the truth is that we have not come to a conclusion.
“Negotiations are underway and are well advanced, but we are close to 80% and have not yet closed any agreement. However, we are still negotiating.”
Independent checks by sports247.ng further revealed that the Imo State-owned club began making moves to quickly buy the Beyond Limits spot just a day after both sides posted contrasting results at the end of the season.
While there was another relegation from the NPFL for Heartland, whose former financier Chief Emmanuel Iwuayanwu died on Thursday at the age of 82, Beyond Limits earned promotion from the NNL.
However, many eyebrows were immediately raised over Beyond Limits’ eligibility to compete in the NPFL as their major shareholder, the Honourable Kunle Soname, is also the owner of this season’s runners-up, Ikenne-based Remo Stars.
Although media personalities and technocrats close to both Ikenne-based teams quickly came out to debunk reports of Soname’s ownership of both clubs, speculation about Heartland buying the Beyond Limits site has refused to die down.
The saga came to a head earlier in the week when a section of online media declared that Heartland will compete in the NPFL this season after sealing a N350m deal with Beyond Limits and that former Super Eagles winger Emmanuel Amuneke will be their coach.
However, the veracity of that story has been called into question, with the Imo State FA chief insisting that a climax has yet to be reached in takeover negotiations between officials of both clubs.
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