Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The stench of match-fixing

One of the UK's biggest-selling and most influential newspapers carried a story of football match-fixing allegations in Cambodia in their edition today, though it hasn't been deemed interesting enough for the Cambodian press, aside from a one-liner in the Phnom Penh Post a few days after the 2nd leg match was played. Here's what The Telegraph had to say about the recent World Cup matches between Cambodia and Laos.

World Cup 2014: Shadow of alleged match-fixing allegations already haunting competition - by Paul Kelso, The Telegraph

The preliminary draw for Brazil's World Cup took place on Saturday but already the shadow of alleged match-fixing has touched the 2014 qualifying tournament. The threat of fixing was highlighted by Fifa president Sepp Blatter prior to the draw in Rio and Telegraph Sport can disclose that one of the early rounds of Asian qualifying has been internally investigated following allegations of manipulation.

Fifa investigators have been alerted to unusual betting patterns in connection with the two-legged tie between Cambodia and Laos in the first round of the Asian Football Confederation qualifying zone. Both countries were eliminated before the preliminary draw in Rio, but the case highlights the rash of match-fixing allegations that have touched teams in more than 50 countries.

The first game in Phnom Penh on June 29 was won 4-2 by Cambodia, with the return in Vientiane on July 3 won by Laos 6-2 after extra time, enough for them to progress to the second round. The second leg was followed by accusations in Cambodia that the game was manipulated, and Telegraph Sport understands that data from betting monitoring software, including the Early Warning System used by Fifa, has highlighted unusual patterns, particularly in the first game.

The last goal in that game, scored by Cambodia in the 88th minute, attracted highly unusual betting patterns. With 86 minutes gone Cambodia were five-to-one on to score again on Asian handicap markets, an extreme price. According to footage of the game on YouTube, Cambodia had two goals disallowed in the last six minutes, after 84 and 86 minutes, and Laos had a penalty appeal turned down in the 88th minute shortly before Cambodia’s Samel Nasa scored.

The second leg finished 4-2 to Laos after 90 minutes, with two further goals in extra time sealing their progress to the second round, where they lost to China 13-3 on aggregate. Fifa would not comment on whether the case was part of its ongoing investigation into match fixing. In a statement Fifa said: “We cannot confirm or deny any specific investigation taking place on these matches”.

The Football Federation of Cambodia carried out an internal investigation after receiving allegations that the games might have been manipulated, but has found no evidence of match-fixing. In an emailed response to questions May Tola, the deputy general-secretary of the FFC, said that it had heard “unconfirmed rumours” about the tie, and that supporters had made accusations after the disappointment of the second-leg defeat. Some had accused players of result manipulation,” Tola wrote. "Immediately after the team returned home, our FFC leadership has instructed the federation to form an investigation commission to find out if there is any irregularities as rumoured accusation [sic]. After thorough examination and discussion, the Commission has found no substantial evidence or suspicion that the match had been manipulated by players or whosoevers [sic] within the team.”

The acting president of the Asian Football Confederation told Telegraph Sport that while he was not aware of any direct evidence that the Cambodia v Laos games were “not genuinely contested”, the allegations underlined “the destructive nature of match-fixing”. Zhang Jilong, of China, who became acting president when Mohamed bin Hammam was suspended by Fifa, described match-fixing as a “pandemic” in world football, and is hoping to open a dedicated Fifa security office in Asia next year.

Jilong said: “There is no doubt that match-fixing is a real danger to football’s ethical values and needs to be completely eliminated to preserve the sanctity of the sport. AFC will not rest until this plague is completely stamped out in Asia.”

Asia is considered the hub of match-fixing and Jilong is in talks with Fifa’s security department to open a dedicated security office in Asia by the start of 2012. The latest concerns come as Fifa prepares to take disciplinary action against six match officials involved in two notorious internationals staged in Antalya, Turkey, in February, in which all seven goals were penalties. The referees, from Hungary and Bosnia, have been summoned to appear at a disciplinary hearing in Zurich next week, though none is expected to attend having already been banned for life by their home federations.

Postscript: The local Phnom Penh Post newspaper carried the fact that the Federation in Cambodia were forming a Commission soon after the team returned from the heavy 2nd leg defeat but then it went as quiet as a pin-drop, until May Tola's statement to The Telegraph. To be honest any match-fixing allegations might've been raised after the 2nd leg rather than the 1st leg that was played in Phnom Penh, so the focus on the betting patterns in the first match are an interesting development. There were indeed two 'goals' ruled out very near the end of the match and a claim for a penalty turned down, but for that to be part of a match-fixing allegation, then the involvement of both teams and the match officials surely would've been required. Too often, the stench of match-fixing lingers on, without anyone actually providing evidence. It's so easy to allege match-fixing but unless there's clear evidence, I say shut the fcuk up.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to see you're right on the story Andy. The Cambodia Daily is running a story in today's, Thursdays, paper - nothing in the Phnom Penh Post yet - but the fact the UK's quality broadsheet is on the story tells me it's a biggie!

Cambodia sent only an 18-man poorly chosen squad to Laos with no attacking options on the bench and played right into the hands of an astute Laos coach who outfoxed the Cambodian coach, waiting till the the 73rd minute to make his first change.

The FFC should take the blame for the loss, for sending an undermanned squad, with no Thai-based players, for such an important match - a once-a-generation opportunity to meet China in World Cup round 2.

Andy Brouwer said...

4 August:
The Cambodia Daily, in response to the Daily Telegraph story, published a story in their paper today. May Tola added that a 5-man committee reviewed footage from the 2 games. "We watched the tape...and we did not find any proof, any evidence, or suspicion," he said. "They [the national team] played 100%."
"We are worried about the [Cambodian] team's reputation. Sometimes, in football, we cannot avoid this," said May Tola.

The Phnom Penh Post remained silent on the issue.

Anonymous said...

Now it 's on the wwwdap-news.com

Anonymous said...

If we lost to Loas as the result of... then I am too tired to support Khmer football :(

Anonymous said...

88th minute. Who scored for Cambodia when odds were 5 to 1 on? PPPost missed the story!

Andy Brouwer said...

Anon 11:14AM,
Sam El Nasa scored from close range for Cambodia's 4th goal at home just before the end. PPPost mentioned the match-fixing rumors after the 2nd leg, as no-one had previously suggested there was a problem in the 1st leg. The betting patterns is something that is known only to people who monitor these things, and 99% of the public have no idea about these matters.
The problem is that it's easy to throw mud and if you throw enough, then some will stick. Especially with the penchant for betting on football in Asia. It's rife.
It's also no surprise that the FFC conducted an internal investigation and found NO proof of match-fixing. Well, they would wouldn't they.
The cry of match-fixing is almost a default reaction after your team loses in a critical match. A sad indictment but true nonetheless...
Andy

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Thai. I just have an idea. It's good if we can buy TV time 30 minutes or one hour to promote our club. In it we have hightlights from our team's matches, coaches and players' interview, daily practice on the field and quiz for our fans in the studio like who scored two goals against Young Lions in SHB Singapore Cup? We can attract sponsors for TV commercials and have a good TV host or hostess. I don't think we spend much on it, just once a week on Sat or Sun. It's good to promote our club as people could see academy boys and their domitory. It's great. Please write back soon.

Thai

Andy Brouwer said...

Hi Thai,
a good idea and one which we've already discussed during last season. There are a number of ways we are considering promoting PPCFC, and this is one of them. If we decide to go ahead with this and other initiatives, we will let our supporters know.
Thanks again for your interest in PPCFC.
Andy