The Aiteo Cup is a single-elimination football tournament in Nigeria contested by 74 teams, from the 36 states of the federation and one from the Federal Capital Territory. It is the Nigerian domestic cup and the country’s equivalent of the FA Cup in England, UK; Copa del Rey or King's Cup in Spain; Coppa Italia in Italy; Copa do Brasil in Brazil; Coupe de France in France.
The management of the Bayelsa state-owned male football team, Bayelsa United football club, has revealed that Nigeria Football Federation, NFF still owes the club N25 million prize money for winning the 2021 Aiteo Cup.
The Aiteo Cup is a single-elimination football tournament in Nigeria contested by 74 teams, from the 36 states of the federation and one from the Federal Capital Territory. It is the Nigerian domestic cup and the country’s equivalent of the FA Cup in England, UK; Copa del Rey or King's Cup in Spain; Coppa Italia in Italy; Copa do Brasil in Brazil; Coupe de France in France.
On August 8, 2021, Bayelsa became the first state to have two clubs win the FA cup in the men's and women's editions in the same year.
The Yenagoa-based Nigeria National League, NNL side won the 2021 Aiteo Cup on August 8, after defeating NPFL side Nasarawa United via penalty shootout, 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 in their history at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State.
The Chairman of the club, Ebiki Timitimi while speaking on a live programme in Bayelsa last week, said the club was yet to receive any official request demanding the return of the trophy
Timitimi further disclosed that the club had written to the apex football body in Nigeria to demand payment of the N25 million prize money, but that the NFF had failed to keep to its promise over one year after victories for both teams, Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens.
SaharaReporters equally gathered a Kano-based football club, Kano Pillars also complained in 2019 that they were not paid the prize money for lifting the cup.
Pillars spokesman, Rilwanu Idris Malikawa said several months after Pillars beat Niger Tornadoes to win a first-ever Aiteo Cup, the club had yet to receive the N25 million prize money.
“We have not received the prize money and we have no information on when the NFF will pay this money,” Malikawa had said.
Meanwhile, all efforts to get the reaction of Amaju Pinnick, NFF President, to this claim were futile. He did not answer calls made by SaharaReporters and also did not reply to the text message sent to his mobile phone.