His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, Executive Governor of Bayelsa State
Her Excellency, Dr. Mrs. Gloria Diri, Wife of the Governor
His Excellency, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State
His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, Former Deputy Governor of Edo State & Director General, National Institute of Sports
Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, Speaker of the State House of Assembly
Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko
Director General, National Sports Commission, Bukola Olapade
Members of the State House of Assembly
NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau
Members of the State Executive Council, particularly the Hon. Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. (Dr.) Daniel Igali
Permanent Secretaries
Local Government Chairmen
Esteemed Stakeholders of the Sports Industry
Top Government Functionaries
Gentlemen of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my singular honor and privilege to welcome you all to this epoch-making grand finale of the 2025 edition of the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament, popularly known as the Prosperity Cup.
I am particularly happy to announce that numerous talents, heroes, and heroines have emerged from Season Seven of the Prosperity Cup after weeks of exciting and scintillating football across the eight local government areas of the state.
The Prosperity Cup continues to be the foundation for many grassroots players in the state. This is a direct result of His Excellency, the Executive Governor’s steadfast commitment to sports development, particularly grassroots football, since he assumed office.
Your Excellency, Sir, it may interest you to know that when Bayelsa United won the Aiteo Cup in 2021 in Benin, Edo State, 80% of the players were products of this tournament. They include Robert Mizo, Okardi Inikurogha, Emo James, Endurance Ebedebiri, Gabriel Biriduba, Tarabina Bweribo, and Edwin Ayiba.
This year’s edition has witnessed unprecedented records, particularly in the number of registered teams in both the male and female categories. A total of 231 teams started the race in the men’s category across 26 centers statewide, while the women’s competition had 27 registered teams, but only 20 teams participated due to some missing the registration deadline.
His Excellency, Sir, a total of 608 goals have been scored across 254 matches, averaging 2.39 goals per match.
- 537 goals were recorded during the preliminary round across 224 matches.
- 46 goals were scored in 16 matches during the Round of 32.
- The Round of 16 produced 20 goals, while the quarter-finals saw 5 goals scored.
- No goals were recorded during regulation time in the semi-finals—both matches were decided through penalty shootouts, a testament to how competitive the games were at the latter stage of the competition.
Our primary responsibility has been to expose young talents and provide them with a platform to showcase their skills while being scouted by professionals. It is on this note that I am pleased to announce the following pre-season tournament opportunities:
- Optima Energy Gold Cup Pre-season Tournament in Ogun State
- Eko International Cup Football Tournament (EIC) in Lagos
- South South Pre-Season Tournament in Aba
- Bayelsa State Pre-Season Tournament
Additionally, we are exploring international opportunities in Turkey, Russia, Portugal, and France. The icing on the cake is that a football agent from one of these countries has already expressed interest in scouting our players!
I cannot end this address without commending His Excellency, the Governor, His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, and the dynamic Sports Commissioner for their unflinching support in advancing the governor’s vision for sports development in Bayelsa State.
With that, I invite you all to sit back and enjoy the beauty and artistry of our young footballers. Welcome to Bayelsa State!
