Amunike to join relegated Heartland of Owerri

Super Eagles’ former forward, Emmanuel Amuneke, is set to return to coaching after a year away from the sidelines, Soccernet.ng reports.

Amunike’s last role was with Zambia’s Zanaco FC, where he served as both coach and consultant before leaving in 2023.He recently applied for the Super Eagles head coach position, but the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) opted for Finidi George instead.

According to reports from Owerri, Amunike is close to joining Heartland, which plans to return to the elite NPFL next season. The report added that Amuneke, who has been quietly working with his hometown club, has started recruiting players for the upcoming season.

Heartland FC was relegated to the NPFL after finishing in the 19th position on the 20-team table last season.

The club is reportedly planning to buy the NPFL slot of Beyond Limits, who earned promotion from the Nigeria National League (NNL), but face participation issues due to their affiliation with Remo Stars.

Amuneke, 53, has extensive coaching experience in domestic and international football.