6 football players held for match-fixing

Police arrested six players, including the captain of the V-League's Dong Nai FC on July 22, for gambling and fixing their team's matches.

Those arrested in Ha Noi on Sunday were team captain Pham Huu Phat, Nguyen Thanh Long Giang, Dinh Kien Trung, Nguyen Duc Thien, Ha Niem Tien and Phan Luu The Son.

They were allegedly fixing a match, which their team was to lose against Quang Ninh Coal by two goals during the 21st round of the national premier league at a price of VND400 million (US$19,000) with Nguyen Phuc Thuan, an illegal bookie via an online website with a server located aboard.


The result was 3-1 in the first half and Dong Nai continued to suffer another two goals in the second.

Four others were also arrested in this connection.

Major-General Ho Sy Tien, head of the Police Department for Investigation of Social Order-related Crimes, said police are completing their investigations and intend to prosecute the ten people in the next few days.

Police also said that apart from the Quang Ninh-Dong Nai match, these bookies were betting on different matches, with up to VND800 million ($38,000) invested per game.

There would be more investigations in this regard.

All the six players have been banned from all football activities by the Viet Nam Football Federation.

Dong Nai returned to home to prepare for the next match against SHB Da Nang this weekend. They are now in seventh place with 22 points. They had a meeting yesterday and Vice Captain Nguyen Xuan Thanh was voted the new captain.

Striker Nguyen Hai Anh and midfielder Phong Quang Trung are his two deputies.

The V-League has three rounds remaining before wrapping up on August 10