May 18, 2018

A Former Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia, on Friday praised the Bayelsa Government on its grassroots football development initiative with the ongoing Gov. Seriake Dickson’s  Football Tournament, tagged “Restoration Cup’’.

Siasia gave the commendation in Yenagoa at the official draws for the round of 16 of the competition, and his presentation as the Tournament’s Ambassador by the organisers.

He said the importance of grassroots sports development to talent discovery could not be over emphasised, and promised to assist the Bayelsa Government to train the discovered talents from the game.

“Football is big business and I am very happy with the initiative of the state government in using the tournament as a platform to identity and groom young ones at the grassroots.

“Hopefully, the gesture will go a long way in fishing out the talents to play for national and foreign football clubs; I thank the organisers of the tournament for making me the Ambassador of the Competition.

“I pledge to do more for the development of sports in the state,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Restoration Cup, Mr Onoriode Akpe, described the 2018 edition as outstanding because of the brilliance of the teams.

Akpe said that he was impressed with the level of discipline and skills exhibited by the teams, adding that eight hat-trick were recorded in the first round of the tournament.

He announced that the second round of the competition would kick-off on May 20 across the eight local government areas of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the teams that qualified for the round of 16 include Okpoma and Bua-ama from Brass LGA and Nembe City and Opu Nembe from Nembe LGA.

Others are, Ayakoro-ama and Kaiama from Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA, Azikoro and Ekpetiama in Yenagoa LGA.

The rest are Otuasega and Otuokpoti from Ogbia LGA, Adagbabiri and Toru-Orua from Sagbama LGA Peretorugbene and Agge from Ekeremor LGA and Amassoma and Kalawei-ama trom Southern Ijaw LGA made up the 16 teams.

The Commissioner for Sports Development, Mr Perekiye Buruboyefe, expressed delight at the enthusiasm and peaceful disposition of the participating teams.

Buruboyefe called on the teams that have lost out at the first round not to despair as there was always another day to prove themselves.

“The surviving teams should continue to abide by the rules of the competition,’’ the Commissioner said.