Rogerio dashed out of his goal to punch clear a corner but instead the ball somehow looped high and backwards into the net despite the presence of three defenders on the line.
The 61st minute goal completed a 3-0 defeat on an unhappy evening all round for Sao Paulo and the 39-year-old Rogerio, who has scored more than 100 goals from free-kicks and penalties and recently returned to action after a six-month injury layoff.
Kieza opened the scoring for the Recife-based hosts in the 12th minute and Araujo added a second before the half-hour.
Dutchman Clarence Seedorf scored the second goal in Botafogo's 2-0 win over Sport Recife although it was still an unpleasant fixture for Oswaldo de Oliveira, coach of the home team.
The match was played in front of a sparse crowd of 4,000 at the Joao Havelange Stadium and they still jeered Oliveira even after the second goal.
Ronaldinho's Atletico Mineiro stayed top after hitting the woodwork three times in a 1-1 draw at 10-man Atletico Goianiense, who had Joilson sent off in the 21st minute for elbowing an opponent.
Ernandes have given Goianiense a shock ninth-minute lead and, although Bernard headed the equaliser before the half-hour, Mineiro were unable to find a winner with Ronaldinho, Jo and Pierre all finding the frame of the goal.
Mineiro have 39 points from 16 games, three more than Fluminense, who drew 1-1 with Cruzeiro.
Palmeiras, who had former Brazil and Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari serving the second game of a two-match suspension, moved out of the relegation zone by beating Flamengo 1-0 with a goal by Hernan Barcos.
The tetchy encounter produced 12 yellow cards and a red for Flamengo's Ibsen in the 32nd minute.
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