The annual Bayelsa State Government-sponsored football tournament, nicknamed the Prosperity Cup, among communities and other football clubs has entered the last 16 after over 200 rounds of matches across various centres.

The quest for the 10 million prize money in Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football tournament is getting hotter as the tournament is gradually taking shape.

A total of 231 teams registered for season seven of the spectacle, with over 24 centres hosting the preliminary round of matches in the competition.

Yenagoa Local Government Area produced the highest number of teams and centres in the tournament, with 93 teams in the LGA jostling for glory in the competition.

Among the seven centres in Yenagoa LGA, Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, BDGS centre had 16 teams, the highest number of teams in a centre. Kpansia, Biogbolo, Opolo, Tombia, and Swali centres housed 13 teams each, while Ogboloma centre accommodated 12 teams.

Brass Local Government Area, the LGA that produced Ewo-ama FC, the tournament’s maiden champions, registered 19 teams playing in two centres, Sangana and Twon Brass centre. The Twon Brass centre had 13 teams, while the Sangana centre had six teams.

Nembe Local Government, with just a centre, had seven registered teams, as a duo of Nembe City FC and Okoroba FC qualified for the local government final and the round of 32 of the showpiece.

In Ekeremor local government, a total of 20 teams registered for the tournament in three different centres, namely Ekeremor, Egbema-Angalabiri, and Agge Centre, which produced the highest number of 12 teams.

Sagbama Local Government, before the money-spinning stage, had 16 teams in three different centres, Sagbama, Ebedebiri, and Ogobiri centre, with Agbere FC of Agbere and Indomitable Lions FC of Sagbama qualifying for the LGA finals.

Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA had a total of 12 teams and two centres, namely Opokuma and Odi centres, with six teams in each of the centres.

Southern Ijaw local government area registered 27 teams, with seven teams playing at the Oporoma centre, four teams at Olugbobiri centre, and 16 teams at the Amassoma centre. Professor Nimibofa Ayawei PNA FC are Southern Ijaw LGA champions.

A total of 37 teams registered in the Ogbia local government area, the LGA with the second highest number of teams after Yenagoa LGA. Ogbia has four centres, namely, Otuasega, Imiringi, Otuabagi, and Otuokpoti centres.

A total of 224 matches, spread across 24 centres, were played in the preliminary rounds of the tournament. In the same vein, a total of 537 goals were scored in the preliminary rounds, averaging 2.4 goals per game, while PNA FC scored 20 goals and conceded just one in eight games.

The round of 32 matches produced a total of 46 goals in 16 games, averaging 2.9 goals per game.

Hostilities will resume at the weekend as the 16 remaining teams will slug it out at the various centers to reach the quarter-finals.