Heartland Football Club of Owerri handed the CAF Champions League trophy to TP Mazembe of Democratic of Congo after scoring an own goal in the second leg of the championship played at the Stade Municipal in Lubumbashi, Congo, on Saturday.
Heartland, which need a draw to pick the $1.5 million worth trophy and also get a chance to represent the continent at the FIFA World Cup in December, kept the raging Congolese at bay for 72 minutes.
Playing with a five-man defence, the Naze Millionaires caged the Mazembe attack led by Tresor Mputu, Ikanga and the highest goal scorer in the competition with eight goals, Kalunituka Dioko.
However, Heartland central defender Victor Ezurike gave the host the winner in the 73rd minutes when he headed the ball past goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who came in for injured Austin Brown in the 55th minute.
In the 90th minute, Emeka Nwanna was sent off the field of play by Algerian referee Mohamed Benouza for a dangerous tackle.
The referee, Benouza, made the call for the end of the two legged final with aggregate score at 2-2. Mazembe, however, won their third continental title courtesy of the goal they scored when the team visited Nigeria for the first leg a week before.
Mazembe won their first two titles back to back in 1967 and 1968. The Congolese will represent Africa in next month's FIFA Club World Cup.
For their efforts at this year's champion's league, Heartland, which first appeared at the continental finals in 1998, earned a million dollars.
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