Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri has officially launched the eighth edition of the Prosperity Cup, the Bayelsa Governor's Football Tournament, in a ceremony at the Sampson Siasia International Sports Complex in Yenagoa that brought together football officials from Spain and Nigeria in a celebration of grassroots sport, talent and statehood.
The occasion marked the formal presentation of specially crafted, branded trophies for both male and female categories of the tournament.
The trophies, designed to commemorate Bayelsa State's 30th anniversary, were presented to Governor Diri by former Nigerian international Jossy Dombraye and former Bayelsa Queens star Ebiere Wealth.
After receiving the trophies, the Governor formally handed them to his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, who in turn presented them to the Commissioner for Sports Development, Dr Daniel Igali.
In a ceremony that underscored the occasion's significance, FC Barcelona's visiting technical staff, Mr Bernat Villa Gorriz and Mr Alberto Lafuente Rincon, presented the Governor and his Deputy each with a branded FC Barcelona jersey, a gesture that drew warm applause from officials and observers gathered at the stadium.
GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL IS THE FOUNDATION OF EXELLENCE
Deputy Governor Dr. Peter Akpe set the tone for the occasion with a clear message on the philosophy underpinning the Prosperity Cup.
"The development of sports is incomplete without the grassroots, so attention has to be paid to grassroots sports if we want our sports to grow to the next level."
The Deputy Governor noted that the Prosperity Cup, which he described as the biggest grassroots football competition in the country, had over the years become the bedrock for a number of top clubs, particularly Bayelsa United FC. He commended the organisers for the series of capacity building programmes conducted for officials in the days leading up to the tournament, and urged young footballers in the state to take full advantage of the platform before them.
"The Prosperity administration is using sports as a tool to curb youth restiveness."
Dr. Akpe's remarks reinforced the tournament's dual role as both a sporting spectacle and an instrument of social development.
A WEEK OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARD TRAINING
The launch ceremony followed a week of intensive professional development activity involving referees, medical personnel, tournament coordinators and media representatives.
At the centre of this activity was the FC Barcelona and Prosperity Cup International Coaching Clinic, a three day programme led by Bernat Villa Gorriz, Technical Director for Europe and Africa at FC Barcelona, and Alberto Lafuente Rincon, Senior Technical Director for Barça Academy International Projects.
Director General of the tournament, Mr Ono Akpe, said the scale and quality of preparation for Season 8 was unlike anything seen in the history of the competition.
"This year's edition is significant. It coincides with the 30th anniversary of the creation of Bayelsa State and the collaboration with International Technical Advisers, FC Barcelona of Spain. The competition will witness tremendous improvement because grassroots football coaches have been impacted by the FC Barcelona technical staff in the last three days."
Mr Akpe also revealed that the Bayelsa State Government was actively pursuing the establishment of an FC Barcelona Academy in the state, a development that would provide a permanent structure for the talent development work begun this week.
BARCELONA TECHNICAL STAFF IDENTIFY PROSPECTS
Both Bernat Villa Gorriz and Alberto Lafuente Rincon, speaking in separate interviews, expressed satisfaction with the organisation of the tournament and confirmed that the talent on display had not gone unnoticed.
"We are pleased with the organisation of the tournament. We have spotted talents that could be exposed to FC Barcelona in the near future."
Their presence in Bayelsa State represents the most direct and sustained FC Barcelona technical engagement in grassroots football anywhere in West Africa.
CLINIC COACHES TAKE THE TOUCHLINE UNDER BARCELONA EYES
Governor Diri performed the ceremonial opening kick, officially signalling the commencement of Season 8. The inaugural fixture, which saw Prosperity Cup Selected B defeat Prosperity Cup Selected A by two goals to one, served as more than a ceremonial occasion.
The two sides were coached by Anthony Fouye of Afini FC and Dimie Ineididie of Bayelsa United Feeders FC, both of whom had participated in the FC Barcelona and Prosperity Cup International Coaching Clinic earlier in the week.
The match gave the pair a live platform to demonstrate skills and methods they had recently acquired during the clinic, under the watchful eyes of FC Barcelona officials Bernat Villa Gorriz and Alberto Lafuente Rincon.
What one observer described as "a Spanish and Bayelsa combo" was, in effect, the first visible fruit of the week's intensive training.
RECORD PARTICIPATION, RECORD PRIZE FUND
Season 8 is the largest in the tournament's 11-year history. A total of 257 teams are registered to compete, comprising 227 male teams, 28 female teams and two para soccer teams, the latter marking a historic first in terms of fully funded inclusion.
The total prize fund stands at N80 million, a 60 per cent increase on last year's N50 million, reflecting the expanded scope of competition across male, female and para soccer categories.
Tournament Director Mr Ebi Avi described this year's edition as special.
"It is a celebration of state creation and everything it stands for."
SPONSORS AND SUPPORT
Director General Mr Ono Akpe expressed appreciation to Governor Senator Douye Diri; lead sponsors Premium Trust Bank and Linkage Assurance; major sponsors Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); and co-sponsors Nigeria Customs Service, Binad Table Waters, King George's Court and the Bayelsa State Board of Internal Revenue.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Preliminary rounds: 26 February to 5 April 2026
LGA finals: 8 to 20 April 2026
Grand finale: 2 May 2026, Sampson Siasia International Sports Complex, Yenagoa