Bayelsa Football Frenzy: 47 Teams Vie for Sen. Lokpobiri Unity Cup Trophy

By Osaro Michael, Benin

All is now set for the second edition of the Senator Heineken Lokpobiri Unity Football Cup Tournament.
A total of 47 clubsides drawn from all the 8 Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State are expected to battle for honours in the competition, which is scheduled to kick off on the 9th of November, 2025.

In the draws held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State Capital on Monday, the 47 teams were drawn into 8 centres for the preliminary round of the annual tournament.
The centres include: Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Ekeremor Town and Sagbama in Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Areas, Imiringi and Otuasega in Ogbia LGA, Tombia, Kpansia and Bishop Dimeari Grammar School (BDGS) in Yenagoa LGA.

From the draws conducted by the Secretary of the Bayelsa State Football Association, Mr. Diseye Nwankwe in the presence of officials of the 47 participating clubs, Saturday Football Club, Team Amassoma, PNA, Akeddei and Eagle Stars football clubs will do battle at the Amassoma centre, while Tailor creek, Wings, Gbarain Youth and Glitch football clubs will trade tackles at the Tombia centre.

The Ekeremor centre is expected to feature Samba Boys, last year’s runners up, Petroleum Boys, Ekeremor united and Peretorugbene football clubs, with AJ Soccer Academy, Sir Temple, Global city and Mountain of Lord Deliverance Ministry football clubs to engage each other at the Sagbama centre.

Four teams each will battle for honours at the Nembe and Otuasega centres. It will be Nembe city, Nembe All stars, Otuasega Movers and Creek football clubs confronting each other at the Nembe centre, while the Otuasega centre will see defending champions Citiboi, Genesis, United creek and Yamabhi battle go head to head.

Two of the centres in Yenagoa, which are expected to also produce more qualifiers for the next stage, would be hosting eleven teams each in the preliminary round of the competition.

The Kpansia centre is expected to have Morning Fc, Brazil, Tiger, Mighty Mighty and Opokuma Football clubs. Also slated to battle for honours at the Kpansia centre are Premium standard, Stardom Life, Slaughter, Better days, Solid stars and God’s mercy city football clubs.

Corresponding Grace, Selina, Colombia, Seaside Academy, Peace and Bayelsa stars are drawn to compete at the BDGS playground. Other teams to play at the same venue are Stardom Glitch, Foundation, Global City, Afini and United stars football clubs.

The opening match of the competition between last year’s winners, Citiboi and Mountain of the Lord Deliverance Ministry takes place at the Samson Siasia stadium, Yenagoa on the 9th of November, 2025.

It will be recalled that, the tournament which was borne out of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri’ the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil)’s genuine desire to engage the youths meaningfully and create a platform for them to display their talents, was floated in 2024.

The tournament which featured 22 clubsides from all the 8 local government areas of Bayelsa State in its maiden edition was won by Citiboi football club from Ogbia Local Government Area, after 5 – 3 penalty shootout victory over Petroleum Boys of Ekeremor.

With over a hundred percent increase in the number of participating teams from the maiden edition, it is obvious that the Senator Heineken Lokpobiri Unity Football Tournament is fast growing in popularity and attracting greater interest from the football fraternity across the state.