The Day Nigerian Football Was Rocked by Unbelievable Match-Fixing Scandal
2013 Match-Fixing Scandal Ends in Lifetime Bans for Players, Officials After Unprecedented Scorelines Shock Nigerian Football
Throwback Thursday brings us a jaw-dropping moment in Nigerian football history, a day that exposed one of the most blatant examples of match-fixing the sport has ever seen.
On that infamous day, two Nigerian lower-division teams, Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine FC delivered results so outrageous that immediately raised suspicions.
Plateau United Feeders defeated Akurba FC 79-0, while Police Machine FC thrashed Bubayaro FC 67-0 and the both matches took place on the same day and in the same division.
At the time, both Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine FC were tied on points and needed to win their final match by a large goal margin to gain promotion to the next division. In this promotion race, goal difference was the deciding factor and both teams knew it.
At halftime, Plateau United Feeders were leading 7-0, while Police Machine FC had a 6-0 advantage. But something clearly happened during the break.
By the time the second halves kicked off, the two teams began scoring at an absurd pace, more like basketball scorelines.
Plateau United Feeders ramped up their scoring, adding 72 second-half goals to finish the match 79-0, while Police Machine FC also intensified their efforts, ending their match at 67-0. At one point, four goals were scored in a single minute, and three of them were own goals. One player reportedly netted 11 goals on his own.
The scandal was so outrageous that angry fans in attendance reported the match to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), demanding an investigation because the scorelines were simply unbelievable.
The NFF acted swiftly. Following an investigation, it was concluded that the matches had been deliberately manipulated to influence promotion. The punishment was severe:
- All players from the four teams involved were handed lifetime bans.
- Match officials and referees who oversaw the games were also banned for life.
This remains one of the biggest match-fixing scandals in Nigerian football history, a story that continues to haunt the sport’s integrity. It’s a stark reminder that football’s beauty can be tarnished when fair play is thrown out the window in pursuit of promotion or prize.
