ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Players, team officials and referees were banned for life and four amateur clubs for 10 years after Nigeria’s soccer federation found they fixed two lower-league playoff games that ended with scores of 79-0 and 67-0.
In findings of an investigation sent to The Associated Press on Tuesday, the Nigerian Football Federation ruled that there was “a fraudulent conspiracy among the teams” to fix the games after Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine figured out that they needed to boost their goal tallies to beat the other to promotion to the lowest tier of Nigeria’s professional league.
Plateau United Feeders beat Akurba FC 79-0 and Police Machine was allowed to beat Babayaro FC 67-0 in the fixes, which were played at the same time earlier this month.
