Own-goal protest ends
in 149-0 defeat

Newly-crowned Madagascan champions AS Adema thrashed their opponents 149-0 in a top national league match on Thursday after the opposition deliberately scored one own goal after another in a protest over a refereeing decision.

Radio Madagascar reported on Friday that Stade Olympique l'Emyrne scored the own goals against Adema as a protest after SOE's coach Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka lost his temper with the referee.

Spectators told the radio that following the row between Ratsarazaka and the referee at Adema's home ground in the port of Toamasina, SOE repeatedly kicked the ball towards their own goal after each kickoff and scored 149 own goals in the process.

Adema's players reportedly stood around looking bemused, doing nothing to stop the opposition from self-destructing.

Radio Madagascar claimed the result represented a new world record score in a first class match.

SOE were last year's Malagasy champions who surprisingly won through to the second round of the African Champions League this season. Adema clinched the Malagasy title last weekend.