The second  Rivers state Governor’s Cup in partnership with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is due to kick off on January 20 at the lush pitch of Liberation stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt. It will equally mark the commencement of Rivers state football season.

The football fiesta which runs from January 20 _ February 12 is set to offer thousands of talented footballers in the 23 local government areas of the state opportunity to show case their skills to the big leagues in the land.

The secretary of the Rivers state FA, Ibigoni Benjamin Akobo confirmed that the participants have increased.
“We have 19 teams registered for this year’s edition and they have been preparing for the past six months with the goal of dethroning defending champions Okrika LGA who won the last edition in 2009.

“This tournament will now kick start our season. We had to move the event to early 2011 to kick start the year and we hope this will aid the development of our football calendar.”

It would be recalled that the last tournament ended on high note with a pulsating finals between Okrika and Tai. Okrika won 2_0. It equally afforded the Rivers state FA an opportunity to select some players who are now part of the state’s contingent preparing for the national sports festival to be hosted by the state this year.