Bubayaro FC were beaten 67-0 by Police Machine in Bauchi, while their rivals for the promotion ticket, Plateau United Feeder, thrashed Akurba 79-0, in what observers of Nigerian football have dubbed the worst match-fixing scandals of all time.
Speaking to Sports Vanguard on the phone, a baffled Kojo said nothing but jail sentences would be appropriate punishment for the guilty parties.
“They should all be jailed for life for this criminal offence. It is highly unbecoming and regrettable that four clubs in the amateur league would resort to this crass level of cheating to get promotion. If we do not send out the appropriate warning through a punitive punishment, some teams will try to do worse things in the future”, said Kojo.
He added that he was not surprised that match-fixing was still rampant in Nigeria, stressing that “Kadiri Ikhana, the first Nigerian to coach a team to win the CAF Champions League in 2003, once said that teams cheat to win matches in the Nigerian League. When Ikhana said this, he was crucified by the NFF but today, events have vindicated him
“The players and coaches of the teams involved and the officials of the two matches, must face punitive punishment. They have made us the laughing stock of the international football community and we cannot allow them to go away with a slit on the wrist punishment”, Kojo said.
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