Football's Strangest Matches [1] Quiz

Answer: Angola only had six players left on the pitch

FIFA rules state that any team with less than seven players on the pitch cannot continue. Angola had four players sent off and another injured with no subs left to come on, thus the game had to be called off. At the time, Portugal led 5-1.

Answer: Thick fog had covered the stadium

Heavy fog made any attempt to start the game totally fruitless and the officials postponed it. England eventually won 2-0 when it was played 24 hours later.

Answer: Chile's keeper was hit by a missile thrown by a fan and his teammates refused to play on

Chile had to win to qualify for Italia 90 and after going a goal down, a flare was thrown from the crowd and exploded near Chile keeper Rojas. After treatment, he was carried off with blood clearly visible and Chile refused to continue. In the inquest that followed, it emerged that the flare didn't actually injure Rojas and that his injury was faked, including the blood allegedly inflicted by a razor blade hidden in his sock! Rojas was banned from football for life and Brazil were awarded the game 2-0.

Answer: It ended in a 6-6 draw

2-2 at half time, 3-3 at full time, then Tranmere went 5-3 ahead in extra time only for Newcastle to make it 5-5. They both exchanged further late goals to make it 6-6, and send it to a penalty shoot out where Tranmere won 3-2.

For the record, Tranmere's scorers were McNab, Aldridge 3 (inc 1 penalty), Steel and Martindale. Newcastle netted through Quinn 3 (inc 1 penalty), Peacock 2 and Clark.

It remains the highest ever recorded drawn game in English football history.

Answer: Neither team tried to score any more goals, ensuring that both nations qualified

This was one of the most notorious games in World Cup history. Having lost their opening group game to outsiders Algeria, the group then panned out that West Germany had to beat Austria to stay in the competition. However, if the win was a low scoring victory, both West Germany and Austria would go through, knocking Algeria (who'd completed their games 24 hours earlier) out of the tournament. Horst Hrubesch scored inside 10 minutes for the Germans and, thereafter, not a single shot was recorded on goal by either nation, knowing that both would go through.

Answer: Spurs scored four times in those five minutes

One of the best examples of quick fire scoring in top flight history in England turned a mediocre game on it's head. Saints led through Iain Dowie, however, four goals in five minutes from Teddy Sheringham (2), Nick Barmby, and Darren Anderton turned the match upside down and left the visitors stunned. Saints did score once more through Richard Hall, but that spell between the 55th and 60th minute did the damage.

Answer: It clashed a total eclipse of the sun visible in the area

August 11th 1999 was the day that South-Western England, and especially Devon and Cornwall, got the best view of a total eclipse of the sun. As expected, thousands converged on the corner of the country, leaving roads jammed, guesthouses fully booked, and a game of football almost impossible.

The authorities delayed the game for six days to ensure that all sightseers were long gone. Ironically the game ended 0-0.

Answer: A penalty was awarded but the penalty spot had disappeared under the mud

With Derby 3-0 ahead, they were awarded a penalty. However, the spot had indeed been covered by mud and, although the players and officials tried to map out where it should be, they eventually had to get the groundsman out to measure the 12 yards from goal line to penalty spot.

He then gott a bucket of paint and re-painted it back! Gerry Daly eventually scored from the spot to clinch a 4-0 win.

Answer: He kung fu kicked a fan that gave him abuse as he walked off

Cantona was a genius with the ball, however when the red mist came down, it did so big time! This was his most infamous moment, at least away from his native France, and earned him an eight month ban from the game. The fan, Matthew Simmonds, claimed that he told Cantona to get off the pitch, although witnesses stated that his language was somewhat more colourful. Cantona's subsequent kung fu attack stunned football, although ironically when he returned to the game he was a reformed character and in 1996, almost single-handedly won United the double with a series of vital goals.

In May 1997, he dropped another characteristic bombshell when he announced his retirement from the game at the age of just 31.

Answer: Eight different players scored the nine goals

One of the biggest winning margins ever in the top division in England was all the more remarkable by the spread of the scorers. They were Steve Nicol (2), Steve McMahon, Ian Rush, Gary Gillespie, Peter Beardsley, John Barnes, John Aldridge (penalty), and Glenn Hysen. Of the starting 11, only Brian Borrows, Ronnie Whelan, Alan Hansen, and keeper Bruce Grobbelaar failed to score. Aldridge was a scoring sub and Jan Molby later came on but didnt find the net.

Remarkably, just seven months later, the clubs met in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Villa Park which ended in another goal fest, but this time Palace stunned Liverpool with a 4-3 win.