Enugu a winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007, was born in Enugu in 1977 and grew up in Nsukka. The Enugu Rangers, a first-division professional league association football team, is Enugu's home team that plays in the Nigerian Premier League and are based in the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium. Former Rangers players include Jay-Jay Okocha and Taribo West. Enugu's main sports centre is the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria. The stadium remained the centre of sports for the whole of the Eastern Region until the Nigerian Civil War broke out. At the
Heartland F.C. match. 1999: Emerged regular League champions but lost title to Lobi Stars of Makurdi in the inaugural Super League play-off. 2005: Finished third in Premier League and also in the Coca-Cola FA Cup with coach Stanley Eguma in charge. 2006: Imo State Government re-acquire ownership of the club on February 7 from chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, renaming it Heartland FC. 2008: Finished second in Premier League by one point to Kano Pillars, earned a Champions League slot. 2009: Finished second in the 2009 CAF Champions League, losing to away goals to TP Mazembe after tying 2–2 on aggregate. 2011: The club