The Nigeria Football Federation was left red-eyed
and livid with rage after two matches in amateur league games produced what
ordinarily should have shattered the Guinness Book of World Records with 146
goals. Plateau United Feeders produced a mind-boggling 79-0 victory over Akurba
FC while Police Machine FC demolished Babayaro FC 67-0. All teams were involved
in promotion play-offs in which the winners would qualify to play in Nigeria
Nationwide League Division 3. The matches were going on simultaneously and
Plateau and Police Machine were in contention for promotion.
The two winners were apparently monitoring their
scores and kept recording the goals to outdo each other. The Nigeria Football
Federation, alarmed by the scandal,
reacted swiftly by placing the four teams on indefinte suspension and
dismissed the results as laughable.
“It is unacceptable. This is a scandal of huge
proportions. The four teams involved are suspended immediately and
indefinitely, pending further sanctions. We will investigate this matter
thoroughly and get to the bottom of it,” Chief Mike Umeh who is the first Vice
President of NFF said.
The highest number of goals scored in a single game
by one team is also the largest margin of defeat by any
team and it was the
Game between Arbroath and Bon Accord in 1885 where the score was 36-0. The
goals glut if allowed by NFF, definitely, would have shot the teams into the
history books.
Group Sports Editor, Onochie Anibeze was alarmed
yesterday and asked repeatedly if the goals were scored with legs or hands. He
said that match fixing was a criminal offence and that those involved should be
investigated and prosecuted.
Also stunned by the massive scorelines, NFF’s
Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi assured that the Organising
Committee would punish all persons and institutions indicted by the
investigation.
“For now, all the match officials are suspended. The
teams involved their players and officials, coordinator and anyone found to
have played some role in this despicable matter would be severely dealt with,”
Sanusi angrily said.
Culled
from vanguardngr
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