Would you believe that the most goals scored in a single organised league or cup football match are 149 goals? That figure is the record-breaking total that was bagged in 2002 by one team, AS Adema, who defeated SO l’Emyrne 149-0.

The match took place in Madagascar’s THB Champions League. It is the country’s premier football competition. The tournament is made up of 24 teams that come together from the 22 regional leagues in Madagascar.

When AS Adema met SO l’Emyrne in the competition, the latter had already been eliminated from the tournament. SO l’Emyrne were unhappy with the refereeing decision that had gone against them in their previous fixture.

DSA Antananarivo had eliminated SO l’Emyrne thanks to a late penalty that was contentiously awarded, or so it was claimed. So, SO l’Emyrne were set to play out their final group stage game, but they had other ideas than simply playing out the game.

Rather than playing the match as intended, SO l’Emyrne protested the result versus DSA Antananarivo by scoring 149 own goals. SO l’Emyrne’s players were so angry with the penalty awarded to the opposition in the previous match, preventing them from winning a second straight national championship, that they deliberately scored own goal after own goal.

According to reports, SO l’Emyrne’s players kicked off the match and immediately sent it toward their own goal before putting it in their own net. This happened time and time again. AS Adema’s players watched on confused over the actions of SO l’Emyrne. Meanwhile, fans ran to the turnstiles demanding their money back.

Prior to SO l’Emyrne achieving the record for the most goals scored, Arbroath and Bon Accord held the record. The two clubs achieved the goalscoring feat on 12 September 1885 in the Scottish Cup.

Bon Accord had turned up to the match without players even wearing a football kit for the fixture. Arbroath’s final tally was 36-0. That record remained unbroken until the somewhat absurd Madagascan game embarrassed the great game of football.