South African club slapped with lifetime ban after 59-1 win over opponents

Matiyasi FC, a South African club in the lower rungs of the nation’s football ladder, have been handed a lifetime ban as a club after their 59-1 win over Nsami Mighty Birds FC in their clash.

Matiyasi FC and Nsami Might Birds were facing each other with the former side in contention for a promotion to the Provincial ABC Motsepe League when the match took place.

Of the 59 goals scored by Matiyasi FC, 41 were own goals scored by Nsami Mighty Birds players in the match which was marred by several irregularities. A player who had been confirmed to have been sent off in the first half of the clash came back onto the pitch and scored for Matiyasi FC in the second half.

In a related incident, Shivulani Dangerous Tigers beat Kototo Happy Boys 33-1 on the same day, with seven own goals scored by Kototo Happy Boys.

All four sides have been investigated by the South African Football Association (SAFA), with the deliberation being that all four be banned from football for life, and the involved officials have been handed five-year bans in the Limpopo region.