Episode Summary
Hosts
Graham Dunn, Jamie Rooney
Guest(s)
Release Date
6 July 2023
Duration
25 min
In this pre-season special, we head to Madagascar in 2002 to revisit one of football’s strangest and most unbelievable matches — when SO l’Emyrne deliberately lost 149–0, scoring every single goal against themselves.
The story begins in the THB Champions League, Madagascar’s top division, where SO l’Emyrne, managed by Zefa, were chasing the national title. After a controversial refereeing decision in an earlier fixture cost them their chance of winning the championship, the players staged an extraordinary protest. In their final match against AS Adema, they spent the full 90 minutes kicking the ball into their own net over and over again — an act of defiance that produced the highest scoreline in football history and stunned the world.
The episode explores how this act of rebellion unfolded, the chaos that followed, and the reaction from fans, officials, and FIFA. We also discuss the wider context of African football politics, the culture of protest in sport, and how frustration can boil over in unexpected — and often darkly comic — ways.
Alongside SO l’Emyrne’s story, Graham and Jamie recall other record-breaking scorelines — from Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord (1885) to Australia 31–0 American Samoa (2001) — showing that football’s extremes often say as much about human emotion as they do about the sport itself.
It’s one of the most surreal stories in world football: a match without opposition, goals without glory, and a protest that became immortal.
SO l’Emyrne 2002: The 149–0 Protest
In October 2002, the world witnessed the most extraordinary scoreline in football history: AS Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne. But this wasn’t a display of dominance — it was a protest. Furious over refereeing decisions that had cost them the Malagasy championship, SO l’Emyrne’s players decided to make a point no one would ever forget.
From the first whistle, they scored own goals intentionally — 149 times. Each goal was an act of rebellion against what they saw as injustice. Their opponents, AS Adema, stood motionless as the farce unfolded. By full time, the scoreboard had spun beyond belief, and world football had its most surreal record.
The match made international headlines, with FIFA and the Malagasy Football Federation issuing bans and sanctions. Manager Zefa received a suspension, and several players were fined or barred from competition. Yet, for all the controversy, the event became part of football folklore — a story retold whenever frustration meets theatre.
Beyond the chaos, this episode revealed the emotional depths of football: anger, protest, and the human need to be heard. Alongside other wild scorelines — from Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord to Australia 31–0 American Samoa — SO l’Emyrne’s protest stands apart for intent, not margin.
It wasn’t about defeat; it was about defiance. A moment when the scoreboard became a manifesto, and football’s most absurd match became one of its most unforgettable.
Main Topics
Iconic Moments
The story behind SO l’Emyrne’s 149–0 protest defeat to AS Adema
Refereeing controversies and the title race that sparked the chaos
The structure of Malagasy football in the early 2000s
Football’s strangest scorelines through history
FIFA’s reaction and disciplinary fallout
The fine line between protest, farce, and football history
149 own goals in 90 minutes — football’s strangest protest.
Players turn backs on the referee and kick off repeatedly.
AS Adema stand still as goals fly in.
Referee books players for scoring too quickly.
Notable Manager
Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka (suspended following the 149–0 match)
Notable Players
Mamisoa Razafindrakoto, Andriamirado Andrianorosoa, Tantely Randriamanampisoa, Bôlida, Koloin Andriambololona, Tantely Rasoanaivo, Haja Andriamasinoro
Style of Play
Protest Football, Record Scoreline, Absurdist Tactics, Defiance and Satire, Chaos, Football Politics
There’s never been another match like it. Normally, SO l’Emyrne were a disciplined, organised side built on possession and collective spirit — hallmarks of Malagasy football’s technical roots. But on October 31, 2002, tactics went out the window.
Still reeling from a refereeing controversy that denied them a shot at the title, manager Zefa’s players took to the pitch in protest. From the opening whistle, they began scoring own goals intentionally, booting the ball into their net again and again. No passes, no defence, no attempt to play — just pure performance. Some goals were carefully placed, others smashed in frustration, as the scoreboard spun like a slot machine.
AS Adema’s players, confused but compliant, simply stood still. The referee, Ben Rakoto, refused to abandon the game despite pleas to intervene, and fans in the stands alternated between laughter, disbelief, and outrage. By full time, the official record read AS Adema 149–0 SO l’Emyrne — a scoreline entered into the Guinness Book of Records and still untouched over 20 years later.
SO l’Emyrne’s “style of play” that day was the opposite of sport — a political statement made with a football. If tactics tell you how to win, this was a masterclass in how to lose deliberately and spectacularly, leaving a mark that no one could ever replicate.
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