Thursday, July 11, 2013

Football: 67-0, 79-0: A mind Boggling Show of Shame Indeed!



Though the kind of scandalous scores have been seen in the past, was in a tiny southern African country, Madagascar, when a team lost by an unbelievable score of 149-0 in 2002.

Below are some of them:

1885: Arbroath 36-0 Bon Accord (Scotland)

1995: Man Utd 9-0 Ipswich Town (Premier League record)

2001: Australia 31-0 American Samoa (World Cup qualifier)

2002: AS Adema 149-0 Stade Olympique L'Emyrne (Madagascar)

You wouldn't expert a country like Nigeria with its ranking in both African and world football to be stained by such a scandal. Well we had it and by two clubs playing simultaneously.

The owner that lost 67-0 has since disowned disowned and disbanded the club.

Bubayaro lost heavily to Police Machine, who were looking to secure promotion to the lowest tier of the Nationwide League Division.

Machine's promotion rivals Plateau United Feeder won their match against Akruba, played simultaneously, 79-0.

Nigeria's football authorities have suspended all four clubs involved, calling the results "mind-boggling".

“A mind-boggling show of shame. It is unacceptable - a scandal of huge proportions”



Police Machine and Plateau United Feeder both needed a win to out do each other, but the final results would have seen the latter promoted on goal difference.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has imposed an indefinite ban on the four clubs and struck the results from the records, with further investigations promised.

Plateau United Feeder scored 72 of their goals in the second half, while Police Machine found the net 61 times after the second half.

Bubayaro owner Shuaibu-Gara Ahmed Gombe, said he had ordered the team not to play the match but he was ignored by team officials.

"As soon as I heard the result, I disbanded the team,"

"It's disappointing that some people would bring the game to disrepute out of desperation."

He added: "I have written a petition to the (state) police in Bauchi to investigate this shame and arrest anyone found to be involved."


Some who attended the two matches reported incidents including questionable refereeing decisions, inexplicable added time and club officials rather than ball boys returning balls into play immediately after goals had been scored.


One of the journalists reported thus: "In the second half, we started witnessing outrageous own goals, free-kicks and terrible goalkeeping.

"Feeders blasted goal after goal past Bubayaro. Officials of the club turned into emergency ball boys, instead of retrieving the ball from the net, they quickly threw another ball into the centre circle.

"It was ridiculous, because the losing side didn't make any effort and the officiating was abysmal, with controversial calls being made and unaccounted additional minutes played.

"Some people were on their mobile phones updating officials at the other venue."

The NFF called the situation a "mind-boggling show of shame" and said players, match officials and the tournament coordinator will be investigated for match-fixing.

NFF's organising committee chairman Mike Umeh said: "It is unacceptable - a scandal of huge proportions. The teams are suspended indefinitely, pending further sanctions.

"We will investigate this matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of it."

Now, those who keep clamouring for involvement of Nigerian referees in CAF and FIFA competition will surely have a second think.

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