Bayelsa United debunks rumour over Aiteio cup prize money

The chairman of Bayelsa United Ebiki Timitimi has dismissed reports going round in the media that the Prosperity Boys have refused to return the trophy won last year due to the Nigeria Football Federation inability to pay the price money for the trophy.

The Yenagoa-based Nigeria National League, NNL side won the 2021 Aiteo Cup on August 8, after defeating NPFL side Nasarawa United via penalty shoot-out following a 2-2 draw at the end of extra-time.

Bayelsa United won the penalty shootout 4-3 to win the trophy for the first time ever in their history at the Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City, Edo State.

The chairman while reacting to the report on a sports program monitored in Yenagoa said the club was yet to receive any official request  demanding the return of the trophy describing the report as untrue.

Timitimi cautioned the fake news peddlers to always verify the informations from the club before putting it out to the public for thier  consumption.

He explained that the club have written to the apex football body in  Nigeria to demand for the payment of the twenty five million naira money yet the NFF has failed to keep to thier  promise after one year for both teams Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens.

He noted that the team is focused in it's quest to return to the elite division and don't want to be distracted with two games to go starting from Nnewi United this weekend and Cynosure Fc of Abakaliki at home.

He thanked governor  Douye Diri and his deputy Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo for unending support given to the team, assuring them of NPFL return.

It would be recalled that Kano Pillars also complained for several years that they were not paid the prize money for the cup competition organized by the NFF.