Vietnam police have arrested five players from professional football club Ba Ria-Vung Tau for alleged match fixing.
Local media reports that the five players – named as goalkeeper Nguyễn Sơn Hải, striker Phạm Văn Phong, and midfielders Lê Bằng Gia Huy, Nguyễn Quang Huy, and Trần Kỳ Anh – are accused of betting on football matches by way of online platforms and of deliberately playing poorly in a match against Da Nang on 24 December which they lost 3-1.
Ba Ria-Vung Tau currently competes in V.League 2, Vietnam’s second division.
Nguyen Minh Ngọc, General Director of the Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company (VPF), said, “In addition to cooperating with the Ministry of Public Security, VPF regularly exchanges information with [the Vietnam Football Federation] and collaborates with specialized companies that analyse sports data to prevent illicit activities.
“Illegal activities in football are evolving with increasing complexity and sophistication. Dissemination, education, and communication programme to raise players’ awareness play crucial roles. VPF will intensify the management of tournaments even further.”
This is the second incident of match-fixing in Vietnam in as many months, with four players from a first division club having their contracts terminated in December for suspicious play.VietnamNet reports.
Vietnam Football Federation previously took disciplinary action against 11 players from Dong Thap’s U21 team for taking part in betting activities during a qualifying round of the national U21 tournament, while in 2015 six players from Dong Nai Club were prosecuted for gambling and match-fixing during the 2014 V.League 1 season.
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