Goalkeeper scores an own goal... and his teammate storms off the pitch, accusing him of match-fixing – Video

The Panamanian Football League has opened a formal investigation after a bizarre own goal raised suspicions of match-fixing.

 

The final minute of the match between Sporting San Miguelito and Alianza FC witnessed a strange incident involving the former's goalkeeper, Jose Calderon.

Goalkeeper scores an own goal

A video circulating on social media showed Calderon putting the ball into his own net with his chest after failing to control a cross in the 90th minute, a goal that gave Alianza FC a 3-2 victory in the match last Saturday.

The association issued an official statement confirming that it would seek clarification from the parties involved regarding the incident, which it described as “serious.”

The statement read, “The League acknowledges that mistakes can happen in football; however, it is also clear that some cases go beyond this limit and are therefore unacceptable within the standards of professional competition.”

He added, “The league will act with the utmost firmness and will continue the investigation to the fullest extent. If any violations are proven, appropriate sanctions will be imposed.”

The statement concluded, “No individual behavior can threaten the work, efforts, and credibility of the hundreds of players, coaches, and other responsible elements that support this tournament.”

Serious complaint and accusations

For its part, Sporting San Miguelito filed formal complaints regarding the incident and demanded an immediate, “thorough and impartial” investigation.

The club issued a statement saying, “We have noted with great concern the presence of serious indications that may be linked to the possibility of match-fixing, which undermines the integrity, transparency and competitive spirit of football.”

These moves came after Sporting San Miguelito player Gustavo Herrera made serious, explicit and direct accusations against his teammate Calderon, of manipulating results.

Herrera left the pitch immediately after the controversial goal, in a state of anger, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport.

He added, “I’ll name names, Calderon is a dirty manipulator of matches and there are many others like him. Aren’t they ashamed? It’s become very clear to everyone, a very experienced player who represented the country in the past, is this the example he’s setting for young people?”

Herrera concluded, “Football is being lost in this country. Those who are harming the sport should step aside and go do something else, and have the courage to admit what they are doing. You who are manipulating matches, leave football.”

This new incident comes two years after the arrest of two players and a former third party in the Panamanian league, on suspicion of match-fixing in an incident that occurred in 2023, according to the American network ESPN.

Calderon (40 years old) is an international player, having played 44 matches with the Panamanian national team. He was on the national team roster during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but he did not play a single minute, according to data from the famous website “Transfermarkt”.