Bayelsa state U-17, boys soccer team has won the just concluded 2010, President Unity U-17 boys football tournament deceded at the Samson Siasia, Stadium, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,  after beating hard fighting, Sokoto state boys 8-7 penalty shoot out.

The encounter which dragged into penalty shoot out after a 1-1 score draw at regulation time saw the Sokoto lads drawing the first blood in the 16th minute of the first half through Femi Moses. Ihe hosts and eventual champions, Bayelsa boys leveled scores at exactly 40th minute off  a goal mouth scramble. The equaliser was tucked in by  Emomotimi Omoni.

Both teams played to win the game within regulation time but all attempts at goal were wasted to bring the game into penalty shoot out. Bayelsa scored 7 of its 9 kicks to out score the Sokoto  who scored 6 of their 9 to become the new champions of this year’s edition.

With this victory Bayelsa has now won the cup twice having won it 2004, in Enugu.

In his reaction, coach, Lemmy Appa  of Bayelsa team attributed his boys win to determination, hard work and prayers’’ saying it was a well deserved victory. According to him, adequate preparation     gave us this sweet victory over our opponents who are equally good’’

His Sokoto counterpart, Coach  Aminu Happy  however commended his boys over their brilliant outing  particularly in the final match which he said they lost to hard luck.