By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – Players and officials of four Nigerian clubs involved in two promotion play-off games that produced farcical 79-0 and 67-0 scorelines have been thrown out for life by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
All four clubs, Plateau United Feeders, Akurba FC, Bubayaro FC and Police Machine FC, have been banned for 10 years while the match officials involved have also been barred following an official investigation by an NFF committee.
Police Machine needed to score more goals than Plateau United Feeder in the race to win promotion to the lowest tier of Nigeria’s national league. Plateau annihilated Akurba FC 79-0 and Police Machine demolished Bubayaro 67-0. Both results have since been annulled.
“The NFF have accepted the recommendations and they would be communicated to the clubs, the state FA’s, CAF and FIFA,” the NFF announced. “We will publish all the names of players and officials with their photographs and details.”
“Investigation showed that all the players and officials of the four teams were involved in the shameful act,” NFF vice-president Mike Umeh told a news conference.
“It was embarrassing that in one of the games, a player scored 11 times while in the other, four goals were scored within a minute and a player scored three own-goals in a match.”
“The match officials consisting of the entire centre referees and their assistants and match commissioners for the two matches are also banned for life for not living up to their responsibility and allowing the game to be brought into disrepute.”
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