Ethiopian football has quietly gone the last year as owners of one of the most ridiculous penalty fouls of all time without us ever having noticed.Footage has gone viral on social media this week that appears to have been taken from a 2021 match between Saint George S.C. and Bahir Dar Kenema F.C.The remarkable clip shows Saint George winning a spot-kick in some of the most extraordinary circumstances that we've ever seen on a football pitch regardless of the league or location.

Footage from Ethiopian football

That's because goalkeeper Harriston Hessou - wearing 99 on his back, as you do - proceeded to foul Saint George's number 28 with a somersault for absolutely no discernible reason.

With the shot-stopper having collected the ball in his own box at the second attempt, he duly transitioned into a front flip that eventually collided with his opponent in one fluid movement.

All in all, it made for a shocking challenge where Hessou planted his studs into the chest of the Saint George player as he completed the tumble and his feet returned to solid ground.

The craziest penalty foul ever?

To the shock of absolutely no one, a penalty was swiftly awarded, but not before the injured player went down in visible pain and required treatment from the physio team.

There appeared to be worrying scenes where the felled forward had his chest checked in the aftermath, but match highlights thankfully showed that he was fit enough to continue playing.

As such, he will have been frustrated to see that his team were unable to make the most of the spot-kick that he won with Hessou - somehow still on the pitch - seemingly get a touch on the ball as it bobbled wide of the post.

The shot-stopper proceeded to throw a fist pump into the air in celebration, but one can't help thinking that it was as much for avoiding a red card as it was for the penalty missing the target.

Saint George have the last laugh

However, Saint George did eventually have the last laugh as although the match remained locked at 0-0 for the interval, two second-half goals ensured that they claimed all three points in the end.

And while that no doubt proved to be crucial in of itself within the context of the Ethiopian Premier League, it's Hessou's crazy somersault tackle that will be remembered most by global audiences.

We've never seen anything like it and we might never see anything like it again.