A U10 football match in Beijing has sparked national outrage after both teams deliberately scored a series of own goals to manipulate their positions in the knockout brackets.
The match, held on April 4 as part of the China Youth Football League, saw Dongcheng Sports School 16 Orange and Kickers Lan play to a 3-3 draw. However, investigations revealed that both sides were intentionally avoiding a victory to secure a runner-up spot, which would lead to an easier path in the upcoming knockout rounds, the South China Morning Post reported.
Footage from the Xiaojiahe Lvdong Tiandi Stadium quickly went viral on social media, showing players making no effort to defend and goalkeepers standing still while the ball rolled into their own nets.
Boys play a football match. Illustration photo by Pexels |
According to match reports, the scoring sequence took a bizarre turn in the second half. After leading 1-0 at the break due to the opponent’s own goal, Kickers Lan scored three consecutive own goals. When the Dongcheng coach protested the lack of competitive spirit, the referee allowed play to continue and suggested filing a complaint later.
Dongcheng then responded by scoring two own goals to ensure the match ended in a draw.
The 3-3 result allowed Kickers Lan to finish first on goal difference, while Dongcheng finished second. In the tournament’s format, the group winner would have to enter a tough path in the knockout phase, while the second-place team face a significantly less competitive bracket.
The Chinese Football Association (CFA) confirmed on April 10 that it has launched a formal investigation into the integrity of the match.
Meanwhile, the Beijing Football Association (BFA) acted quickly and disqualified both clubs from the remainder of the tournament, and four individuals have been hit with one-year bans from all football activities in the city.
“The CFA firmly opposes any form of fake match or misconduct that poisons the healthy growth of youth football and will impose severe penalties in line with the findings,” CFA said.
This scandal follows a similar incident at the 2022 Guangdong Games, where a U15 football final was found to be fixed after a leading team collapsed in the final minutes to lose 3-5 despite leading 3-1. That case resulted in 16 officials being disciplined and the dismissal of the local sports bureau head.
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