Prosperity Cup DG Reflects On Success of Season Eight
3 min read
By Hananeel Jackson
After weeks of exciting football across 30 different centres in Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football spectacle, the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament, tagged the Prosperity Cup, the men have started being separated from the boys.
A total of 257 teams, comprising 227 in the men’s category, 28 in the women’s category and two para-soccer sides, will jostle for the total prize money of ₦80,000,000.00 in this year’s edition of the showpiece.
Governor Douye Diri on Thursday,
26th of February, 2026 took the ceremonial kick-off of the tournament to herald this year’s edition of the soccer fiesta after a series of capacity building training programmes for the personnel of all departments of the competition.
The competition was kick-started in both Sangana and Okpoama centres in Brass LGA on the 7th of March, 2026 with the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, who was represented by Chief Benjamin Ayebatonye, taking the ceremonial kick-off.
Jacob Samuel of Tough Dynamite scored the first goal of season eight of the tournament at the Sangana centre off the Atlantic Ocean to set the ball rolling.
A total of 530 goals were recorded in the preliminary round of the competition in about 220 games averaging 2.41 goals per match while 40 matches were decided on penalty shootout,180 games were won in regulation time.
With Bayelsa State celebrating its 30 years anniversary, the tournament attracted international partnership with the arrival of FC Barcelona officials which was facilitated by Whiz-kid Ventures of the Netherlands.
The partnership will culminate into the establishment of a world-class football academy in Yenagoa, where products of the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament, unarguably the biggest grassroots football spectacle in Nigeria, would be nurtured and mentored.
Thereafter, the excitement moved to the eight local government areas, beginning from the 11th of April, 2026. Okoroma United won the Nembe LGA final; Movers FC reclaimed the Ogbia LGA championship, beating Edi 1 FC of Ayakoro by three goals to two at the Imiringi Township Stadium.
A new champion was crowned in Ekeremor LGA as Osunmaibio FC of Agge beat former LGA champions, Krosaders FC to emerge champions. Kolobiriowei FC of Bolu-Orua spanked Agoro FC two nil to dethrone Agbere FC, who have won the LGA championship two consecutive years.
Odi United, NDU Oilers FC, Mini FC of Minibie and Bayelsa United Feeders won Kolokuma/Opokuma, Southern Ijaw, Brass and Yenagoa LGAs respectively.
Reflecting on the success recorded so far in the showpiece, Director General of the tournament, Mr. Ono Akpe remarked that this year’s edition has been remarkable, particularly the training and retaining programmes, referees, coaches, medics, coordinators and media practitioners covering the tournament.
According to him, the training of coaches by the FC Barcelona Technical Directors, Bernat Villa Gorriz and Alberto Lafuente Rincón was to inject their La Masia philosophy into the various grassroots coaches participating in the tournament.
He noted that the quality of football played by the various teams has improved as a result of the continuous engagement of coaches with modern coaching techniques.
Mr Akpe hinted that officials of FC Barcelona will be in Bayelsa on the 3rd of May, 2026 to identify players that would kick-start the FC Barcelona Academy in Bayelsa, maintaining that the competition is focused on exposing more talents to foreign clubs.
The DG explained that about 120 players between the ages of 14 and 18 years have been shortlisted for the exercise, stating that the programme was now taking an integrated and intentional pattern where grassroots players are given the opportunity to showcase their potentials.
He appreciated the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, the Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe and the Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr Daniel Igali for their immense contribution to the development of sports, particularly the attention accorded to the grassroots.
During the formal presentation of branded jerseys to the Governor and the Deputy Governor, Dr Akpe, the number two man lauded the sponsors of the tournament, Premium Trust Bank, Linkage Assurance, NDDC, NCDMB, Nigeria Customs Service, Binad Table Water, Bayelsa State Board of Internal Revenue and King George’s Court for extending their support to sports in the State.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
