Football

Cambodia officials investigate match-fixing allegations

KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) has launched an investigation following allegations of match-fixing in the Asean Cup.

Cambodian goalkeeper Dara Vireak was vilified by their fans following his two horrendous mistakes in the 2-1 loss to Singapore on Dec 11.

Vireak also played in Cambodia's opening match, a 2-2 draw with Malaysia, but was dropped from the match when they beat Timor-Leste 2-1 on Tuesday.

General Sao Sokha, the FFC president and the head of Cambodia's military police, announced that there will be an investigation into the matter.

"Honest officials and players who are not involved in this incident have nothing to worry about their integrity," Sokha told the Khmer Times.

Vireak, who plays for Svay Rieng in the Cambodian Premier League, has started just four matches for the national team.

His mistakes in the match against Singapore have suspicious fans questioning his performance.

"I request the FFC to investigate goalkeeper Vireak for deliberately conceding two consecutive goals. How many bank accounts does he have? Has his or his relatives' account balance suddenly increased? Letting Singapore score two goals like that is 70 to 90% cheating," alleged one fan on Facebook.

However, Vireak's teammates are standing by him.

"The tournament is not over yet, and the team still have two important matches ahead. Every player is fighting and wants to win for the team. Silly mistakes are common in football, and I fully trust and support Vireak," winger Nick Taylor posted on his Facebook.

After three matches, Cambodia sit in fourth place with four points and will next take on Thailand in Bangkok on Friday to conclude their group stage campaign.

Most Popular
Related Article
Says Stories