Heartland of Owerri coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has gained a strong voice of support in the ongoing battles to keep his job, as the official announcer at Enyimba Stadium in Aba has given the beleaguered ex-international a vote of confidence.
Sports247 reports that the latest round of support for the under fire Amuneke comes from Ilekam Ikechukwu (aka Flakes), who, though based many kilometres away in Aba, is an Imo State-born journalist and close confidant of the former Super Eagles’ winger.
While many critics continue faulting Amuneke for failing to gain promotion back to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) with Heartland and lost in the semi-finals of Imo State FA Cup on Friday, ‘Flakes’ insists it’s all due to sabotage against the 1994 African Footballer of The Year.
He pointed out that players’ welfare has improved at Heartland, especially as Amuneke always goes out of his way to personally settle some of their needs, while also pointing out that unpaid salaries have become a thing of the past.
Flakes stressed in a chat with Sports247, “Amuneke came and changed the ugly narratives. Players are now paid as of when due. Nobody complains of unpaid salaries since he took over the reins.
“Even abandoned players that were injured during the past administration, he funded their surgery when he came on board. He has really helped a lot of players.”
The passionate football buff admitted that a long chain of bad results have left Amuneke’s job hanging by a thin rope, but quickly interjected that the former Julius Berger FC of Lagos, Zamalek of Egypt and Barcelona of Spain winger has been disappointed by his players.
“Amuneke gave his all in terms of support; it’s just that the players within his disposal implicated him by not getting the NPFL ticket,” Flakes submitted.
