Cow to egg Malay soccer goal-spree

Kuala Lumpur, April 10: A Malaysian state has offered a 500 kg cow as grand prize in a local football tournament which kicks off in June, a report said today. The animal lure does not end there. Organisers of the Mat Jenin FC football league in Northern Kedah state have also hatched interesting rules and subsidiary prizes for 57 teams, The Star Daily said.

A player who gets a red card can get back into the game if he offers a chicken to the organising committee but on his fourth card, he pays a heavier penalty — a goat, the newspaper said. Eggs will be given for each goal scored and the team which obtains the most eggs will be the winner, it added. Mat Jenin FC is a state-owned football club named after a Malay folklore hero who loved to daydream. “We want the tournament to be a relaxing event where everybody can laugh and yet play serious football,” state official Aziz Desa was quoted as saying.