By David Owei

The Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament christened the “Prosperity Cup”, season six may have come and gone but the sweet memories of champions Ogboinbiri FC of Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas is still fresh in the minds of football enthusiasts across the nation.

According to a renowned philosopher, Albert Cullum Aesop “Good things come in small packages”. The tournament, which started with 106 teams in 2015, then called Restoration Cup, has today become Nigeria’s  biggest grassroots soccer competition, with over 200 teams.

Last year Ogboinbiri FC emerged champions of the 6th edition of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football spectacle, the oil rich-Ogboinbiri side beat Nembe City FC 3-0 to lift the tournament in a final watched by then Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, as well as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau.

Ogboinbiri FC joined Ewo-ama FC of Brass in 2015, Peretorugbene FC of Ekeremor 2018 and Okolobiri FC in 2019/2020. The competition returned in 2022, after a brief break occasioned by the COVID 19 pandemic that ravaged the world, with Eternal Grace Ministry EGM FC emerging champions.

Krusaders Feeders FC of Ekeremor were crowned champion in 2023 after beating De Grace FC of Yenagoa by 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 draw in regulation time at the Samson Siasia Stadium.

Apart from participation and winning trophies the showpiece has continued to positively engage the youths in Bayelsa as well as engendering unity among grassroots players, coaches and communities in the state.

Ogboinbiri FC qualified from the Amassoma center having taken their opponents to the cleaners in the preliminary round, and went ahead to triumph as Local Government champions, spanking Adulama FC 2-0 in a final decided at the Southern Ijaw headquarters, Oporoma.

Champions Ogboinbiri FC in the quarter finals came from a goal down to beat Wodu FC, who earlier ended the participation of Mover’s FC of Otuasega in the 2024 Prosperity Cup at the Nembe City Stadium, Nembe, by 3 goals to one.

The oil rich-Ogboinbiri side went ahead to pip Bayelsa United Feeders 1-0 in the semi finals while Nembe City FC got to the final of the showpiece with a victory over their eastern rivals, Kongho FC of Brass LGA 1-0 to set up the clash with Ogboinbiri FC.

The Bayelsa State Governor’s Football Tournament, tagged Prosperity Cup, season six, also for the first time witnessed local government finals. In Ogbia LGA Mover’s FC of Otuasega beat Anyama FC 2-1 to become Ogbia champions, Ogboinbiri FC of Southern Ijaw spanked Adulama to lift the LGA trophy at Oporoma town.

In Yenagoa, Bayelsa Medical University BMU FC beat Afini FC 2-1 to emerge the local government champions, Agbere FC of Sagbama triumphed in Sagbama LGA against a youthful Bayelsa United Feeders side by 5-4 on penalties after a barren draw, Kongho United, Nembe City, Odi United and Krusaders Feeder FC won in their respective LGA finals.

Niger Delta University NDU Queens were crowned champions in the women’s category of the tournament, Peremo Soccer Academy came second while Afini Ladies went home with the third prize money. Leave Am For Me FC triumphed in the Para Soccer category of the championship.

In the meantime, the 7th edition of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football spectacle will have three categories in the competition, namely male, female and the para category.

According to the organizers, the prize money has been increased from N20 million in previous editions, to N50 million this year!

The best male team will smile to the bank with a hefty N10 million, the first runners up will receive N5 million, second runner up will go home with N2.5 while the 4th placed team gets N1.5 million. The sum of one million Naira has been set aside for consolation prizes, bringing the total prize money in this category to N20,000, 000.

In the female category, the sum of N10 million is up for grabs as the winners are expected to receive the sum of N5 million, the second placed team will run home with N2.5 million while the third placed team will be N1.5 million richer. The fourth placed team will receive the sum of N500,000. The same amount of N500,000 will be available as consolation prize money in this category.

The sum of N3 million has been set aside as prize money for the para category.

The champions at the local government level will receive the sum of one million Naira while the runners up will go home with the sum of N500,000.

Sale of registration forms is currently ongoing at N25,000 for the male category and N15,000 for the female category.