The game of football has been a thing of joy and sorrow across the six continents of the world, even since the invention of the game it has hit a different height of popularity, the clubs and players are now recognized worldwide.
Football in Nigeria is the most popular sport with great recognition around the federation with supporters in various locations. Taking football down to the southeast of the country, there are many football clubs but just a few of them have achieved greater glory be it current glory or past glory.
In this post, we will be writing about the most successful clubs in the southeast and their ranking.
Enyimba FC
Enyimba Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in the city of Aba Abia State, which plays in the Nigerian Professional Football League.
Founded in the year 1976 and their name Enyimba means The People’s Elephant in the Igbo language, the club rose to prominence in the 2000s and is considered the most successful Nigerian football club.
Their current ground is known as the Enyimba international stadium with a capacity of 16,000 seats (not among the biggest in the country) and they are known for their all-blue jersey.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Enyimba struggled to compete with the traditional powerhouses then but on the inauguration of the Professional League in 1990, the club rose to fame started. Ever since then they have been able to fill up their trophy room.
Honours
Domestically, Enyimba has been the most successful club in the country since the early 2000s. They have won the Nigerian Premier League eight times (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 09/10, 2015, and, more recently, 2019).
They won four FA cups now known as the Federation Cup (2005, 2009, 2013, and 2014), and four Super Cups (2001, 2003, 2010 and 2013). They won the second division league in 1993.
Outside the country, the club has made name for themselves with two CAF Champions League trophies (2003 and 2004) and the CAF Super Cup twice (2004 and 2005).
2. Rangers International Football Club
Rangers International Football Club also known as Enugu Rangers with the nickname Flying Antelopes, is a Nigerian professional association football team. Found in 1970, with their home ground Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium known as The Cathedral to its fans in Enugu state, with a capacity of 22,000.
Honours
After their bitter rival The People’s Elephant of Aba, Rangers is the second most successful in the southeast. Domestically, they have won the Nigerian Premier league seven times compare to Enyimba’s Eight (1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984 & 2016), Six times FA cup champions of the country (1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1983, and 2018) and one super cup in 2004.
Outside the country, Enugu Rangers hasn’t been able to replicate their domestic reign with just the Africa cup winner’s cup in 1977.
3. Heartland FC
Heartland FC was founded in 1976 with the name Spartans FC up until 1985 when they changed their name to Iwuanyanwu Nationale when Emmanual Iwuanyanwu bought the club. It later changed to Heartland Football Club in 2006 when Imo State Government bought it.
The football club based in Owerri the capital of Imo State
They also played in their temporary home ground the new Okigwe Stadium with a capacity of 10,000 pending renovations of their old one the Dan Anyiam Stadium. The football club is known with many nicknames like Soccer Scientists, Spartans, Naze Millionaires, and The Hearts.
Honours
Under the Iwuanyanwu Nationale, the club was one of the big teams domestically with rivals like Enugu Rangers and Shooting stars. They have won the Nigerian Premier league five times in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1993.
A three-time FA Cup winners in 1988, 2011, and 2012, also with the Super Cup two times (2011 and 2012) under the name Heartland Football Club.
Internationally, the club hasn’t been able to win a trophy their best performance was in 1988 and 2009 when they got to the final of the Africa Cup of Champions Clubs and the CAF champions league respectively.
4. FC Ifeanyi Ubah
FC Ifeanyi Ubah was founded in 2015 following the acquisition of Gabros international Football Club by Sen. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.
The club is located in Nnewi Anambra State, with their home ground the FC Ifeanyi Ubah International Stadium with 18,000 capacity making the second-biggest capacity in the southeast after The Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium.
Read this – FC Ifeanyi Ubah relegation, how not to run a football club 101
Honours
Upon their establishment in 2015 the club has won just the Nigerian Federation cup in 2016. The club is one of few privately run football clubs in the country
5. Abia Warriors FC
Leaving us last on the list is the Abia Warriors F.C. based in the city of Umuahia, Abia state, founded in 2003 and their home ground is the 5000 capacity Umuahia township stadium.
The club hasn’t been able to win any major trophy like the above mentioned but they won the first division league in 2013 to gain promotion to the Nigerian Premier League.
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Written by Gabriel Eresiobi, Umudike