published12. June 2022, 17:34
Extreme cheating has erupted in South Africa’s fourth division. Four clubs were involved, for which the association has issued lifelong bans.
The players seemed dejected after the game.
Leader Shivulani Dangerous Tigers won 33-1 – he was banned for life along with the other three teams involved for cheating.
59:1, 33:1 and 41 own goals – such results and numbers in football make you sit up and take notice. First thought: match-fixing – it couldn’t be clearer than that. It happened in South Africa’s fourth division. Four teams were involved. The South African Football Association Safa has now banned all of them for life for fraud. But let’s start at the beginning.
Going into the final game of the season, the Shivulani Dangerous Tigers led the league, with three points and a 16-goal lead. Behind them were Matiyasi FC (2nd) and Nsami Mighty Birds (3rd). These direct opponents agreed that the leader should not become champion. So they made a pact, with Matiyasi winning 59-1 and the Mighty Birds scoring no fewer than 41 own goals.
Suddenly incredibly tired
But the Tigers – the leader – got wind of it in the half-time break, when it was 22-0 for Matiyasi. So they “persuaded” their opponent, the Kotoko Happy Boys, to continue playing with just seven players. The absence of four players was justified by the fact that they were suddenly incredibly tired. The Tigers won 33:1. With the 59:1 elsewhere, it quickly became clear that things weren’t going right, how bbc.com writes.
“These people have no respect for football and we cannot allow that to happen again,” said Mopani Region Safa President Vincent Ramphago, furious. He was horrified. In addition to the life bans for the four clubs, Safa also imposed sanctions on club officials and referees. These may no longer have anything to do with football for five to ten years.
Oh yes, someone still had something to smile about in this story: Fourth-placed Gawula Classic. This won the championship title because of the disqualification of the other clubs.