Hilarious Own Goals Among the Biggest World Football Blunders of the Weekend

Own goals are the theme of this installment of the Biggest World Football Blunders of the Weekend.

In Italy, France, Scotland, Brazil and the United States, a player managed to complicate matters for his side by putting the ball into his own net. In four of the five instances highlighted in the following slides, the gaffe had a direct result on the outcome.

Without further ado, here are the most notable gaffes from the weekend’s action.

5. Koffi Djidji vs. Nantes

Nantes came into Sunday’s match at home to Montpellier a point back of their guests, and despite an own-goal that allowed La Paillade a lifeline, they managed to produce a 2-1 win and move into 13th place in Ligue 1.

Serge Gakpe had already scored for the hosts when Koffi Djidji notched Nantes’ second in the 21st minute, but 12 minutes later, the defender had the ball in his own net following a Montpellier corner.

Djidji, 21, lazily tried to steer the ball out for another corner but instead directed it past goalkeeper Remy Riou.

4. Abdoulay Konko vs. AC Milan

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

It was with a bit of luck that AC Milan left Rome with a share of the points from Sunday’s match away to Lazio.

Just seconds after the hosts were denied an opener due to a foul inside the area (the referee felt Giuseppe Biava had unfairly blocked Philippe Mexes), Milan were in front—Kaka’s effort against the run of play was accidentally swept into the goal by Biancocelesti defender Abdoulay Konko.

Thankfully for Lazio, however, Lucas Biglia would restore level terms shortly after the equaliser when he headed Alvaro Gonzalez’ cross past Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia.

3. Troy Perkins vs. Seattle Sounders

Montreal Impact’s Major League Soccer home opener was pushed back a day due to snow, but despite the extra preparation, they nevertheless managed to gift visiting Seattle an opener after just eight minutes.

Former Montreal attacker Lamarr Neagle got a head to Gonzalo Pineda’s free kick from distance, and while he could only hit the post, he watched as his effort came back off goalkeeper Troy Perkins and rolled into the back of the net.

Neagle was also involved in Seattle’s insurance marker when his ball across the goalmouth set up a Kenny Cooper chip in the 58th minute.   

2. Ryan McGivern vs. St Johnstone

St Johnstone stretched their lead on Scottish Premiership rivals Hibernian to seven points with Saturday’s 2-0 win at McDiarmid Park.

Steven MacLean opened the scoring for the hosts in the 18th minute after Hibs’ No. 2 goalkeeper Sean Murdoch failed to clear David Wotherspoon’s corner. Then, shortly after the restart, it was Ryan McGivern who gifted St Johnstone a second.

Having failed to track Michael O’Halloran’s run, McGivern ran back into his own goalmouth but ended up deflecting the ball past Murdoch when the St. Johnstone attacker delivered a weak ball across the face of goal.

1. Izaldo vs. Santa Cruz

If at first you don’t succeed...

Shortly after the half-hour mark of Nautico’s Campeonato Pernambucano match at home to Santa Cruz, Nautico defender Izaldo did his best to put the ball into his own net when his attempted clearance of an opponent’s shot fortuitously rang off the woodwork.

But just seconds later, he had another crack at a memorable blunder, and this time he made no mistake.

Trying to head an arched pass over the crossbar and out for a corner, Izaldo instead managed to nod the ball into the roof of his own net—an own goal that proved the winner in Santa Cruz’s 5-3 victory.