HANOI - Police have started investigating alleged match-fixing by another three players of the Vietnam national football squad at last month's Southeast Asian Games, state media said.

Vietnam News Agency said late on Saturday that police suspect three more footballers from the national under-23 squad.

"Chau Le Phuoc Vinh, Le Van Truong, and Tran Hai Lam were allegedly involved in the match-fixing case at the 23rd Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines last year in December," the agency said.

Four members of the under-23 side have already been detained on suspicion of fixing matches in the competition.

In total, seven players are now accused of participating in the scam.

Police said five of them agreed to score just one goal in the match with Myanmar's under-23 team in exchange for payments from a gambling ring.

The scandal has also led to the resignation of football federation vice president Le The Tho. Four professional coaches have lost their jobs in the last two months.

Vietnamese football has been under intense scrutiny for months, with police investigating fraud allegations implicating some 90 players, referees and coaches in the V-League.

The scandal took on greater dimensions after several members of the national squad were suspected of having fixed games at the request of betting syndicates during the SEA Games.

Vietnamese football officials recently asked police also to investigate allegations of match-fixing at the 2003 SEA Games.*AFP

back to top

3 more players probed
NOFA booters eye slot in national open