In what must be the first public revolt against the grueling conditions in which players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) play, Heartland FC has called for a postponement of Friday’s game against Enugu Rangers.
The Naze Millionaires sent an S.O.S message to the League Management Company (LMC) as they cringed against playing three matches in six days.
Clubs in the NPFL travel across the country by road at least every three days, leaving them with squads that are fatigued from the trips.
Heartland held Kano Pillars to a goalless draw in Kano on Sunday and traveled 919 kilometres by road to Owerri all through Monday.
They are expected to host Plateau United at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on Wednesday afternoon before traveling to Enugu for the Oriental Derby against Rangers International on Friday night at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
Meanwhile, Rangers were expected to travel 1, 145km to Maiduguri to face El Kanemi on Wednesday afternoon before making the return journey to host Heartland.
Rangers asked the LMC to move the game to June 1 which has been agreed.
Solomon Onu, the media officer of Heartland, said that players were not happy about the double standards, quoting Captain Chinedu Efugh as being distraught after the announcement was made at training on Tuesday.
The players had expected a Sunday afternoon match but were told that it would be a showpiece Friday Night Game, something the LMC has recently begun to experiment with as it brings in huge crowds looking for weekend entertainment.
“The management of Heartland FC has appealed against the proposed Friday night game since it gives undue advantage to Rangers International,” Onu’s stated.
“The club supports innovations in the league but cannot sacrifice the lives of its players on the altar of innovation and monetary gains.”
Despite the late protest by Heartland, the Oriental Derby will go ahead in Enugu on Friday night as it has been scheduled for a live broadcast on cable television.