Former NPFL champions, Heartland, were held to a 2-2 draw by visiting Crown FC in the NNL 2026/27 season curtain-raiser on Sunday, reports www.aclsports.com.
In their quest to return to the elite division, the Naze Millionaires first raced to a comfortable 2-0 lead after the opening half; only for them to crumble in the second half, allowing the visitors to claim a point at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.
Heartland head coach Emmanuel Amuneke, who spoke about his side’s readiness for the season, saw his side take the lead after just 11 minutes through Ekene Osigwe before Jonathan Osondu converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to double their advantage at the break.
After the interval, Crown FC scored twice in two minutes to level the scoreline. Osas Kevin reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute before Mustapha Olamilekan found the equaliser just 60 seconds later. Heartland huffed and puffed to find the winning goal, but the visitors stood their ground to begin the season with a point on the road.
The defeat represents an early disappointment for Heartland, who fell short of promotion last season despite finishing strongly.
Meanwhile, other matches of the opening matchday will be played this weekend across the four conferences.
