The Director General of the Prosperity Cup, Mr. Ono Akpe, has declared that the Bayelsa State Governor’s Football Tournament is achieving its set goals.
Akpe made this declaration while speaking to journalists shortly after the Yenagoa Local Government final encounter between Bayelsa United Feeders and Eternal Grace Ministries (EGM) FC.
He expressed his excitement that, within seven years, the tournament has grown significantly, with some players scouted from the competition now plying their trade within and outside the country. He emphasized that this was the essence of the Prosperity Cup, which is undeniably the biggest grassroots football tournament in Nigeria.
According to the Director General,
“I am excited that a product of the 2023 edition of the Prosperity Cup, Precious Benjamin, who plays for Hoffenheim in Germany, is presently part of the national Under-20 football team that won bronze in the just-concluded AFCON U-20 Championship in Morocco.
“We are particularly excited that our players are getting the recognition they deserve. That is the whole essence of the Prosperity Cup. Our dream is that the tournament will serve as a springboard for our youths to play for big Nigerian club sides, while some will ply their trade abroad. We are fulfilling that dream, and hopefully, we will do even more at the end of the tournament. I am super excited that our efforts are yielding dividends.”
No fewer than six Prosperity Cup products are currently with Bayelsa United, while a sizeable number are scattered across club sides in Nigeria, with some playing abroad. The women are not left out, as Harmony John, who played for the grassroots club Golden Sun Sports Club, is now a proud member of the Bayelsa Queens squad.
Speaking on the quality of play in the Yenagoa finals, in which EGM defeated Bayelsa United Feeders 2-1, Akpe said,
“We are thrilled! It was a very technical game—you could see both teams are young, vibrant, and eager to take the prize. We are impressed because we are witnessing quality football at every stage of the competition.”
Giving insight into what spectators should expect in the Prosperity Cup final, Akpe added,
“It will be explosive and will be as good as any football competition final, even the F.A. Cup final. We are having both the male and female finals. There is going to be a lot of excitement and entertainment—it will be a potpourri of music, culture, and football.”
The Director General also revealed,
“In furtherance of our desire to have more of our players go professional, His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, has approved the invitation of 10 coaches from across the country, including the Director of the Technical Department of the NFF, Austine Eguavoen. They will be in Yenagoa for one full week before the final, watching the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and grand finale. It is our expectation that more Bayelsa youths will be picked up by club sides across the country.”
The grand finale of the Prosperity Cup has been scheduled for Saturday, May 31, 2025.
