West Brom Striker Aune Heggebo Given Two-Match Deception Ban

West Bromwich Albion striker Aune Heggebo has been banned for two matches after the Football Association found him guilty of successfully deceiving a match official. BBC Sport reported that the disciplinary action followed Heggebo's handball goal in West Brom's 2-1 Championship victory over Norwich City in the opening game of the season.

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The disputed goal came after 75 minutes with the score 0-0 at Carrow Road. Jimmy Jay-Morgan drove a cross through the six-yard box and Heggebo jumped to meet it, but the ball struck his hand and entered the net. Referee Tim Robinson and his assistants did not see the contact, and the goal was allowed to stand.

Jay-Morgan later made it 2-0 before Mathias Kvistgaarden scored for Norwich in the 90th minute. The Championship does not use the Video Assistant Referee system, so officials had no opportunity to review the handball during the match. BBC Sport said Heggebo subsequently became the first player charged by the FA under the deception provision in these circumstances.

The FA charged Heggebo with misconduct under Rule E3.1. Its retrospective process is intended for cases where there is overwhelming evidence that a player intentionally deceived an official, rather than merely debatable decisions. West Brom argued that the goalkeeper deflected the ball before it struck Heggebo, leaving the Norwegian forward less than one-tenth of a second to react.

The club said the handball was accidental and could not reasonably amount to deliberate deception. West Brom has backed Heggebo and plans to ask the FA for clarification about what a player should do if a similar incident occurs. BBC Sport reported that the FA's announcement of the suspension provided little detail about its reasoning beyond confirming the punishment.

Heggebo will miss West Brom's home match against Burnley on Sunday and the Carabao Cup second-round tie at Newcastle United next Wednesday. He is due to be available again for the Championship visit to Middlesbrough on 29 August. The forward joined West Brom from Norwegian club SK Brann for an undisclosed fee in July 2025.