Match-fixing claim hits men's football at Asian Games

Match-fixing suspicions have hit the Asian Games men's football competition on Thursday (25th September) after a betting analysis company said there were strong indications of manipulation.

Organisers of the 17th Asian Games, officially known as the XVII Asiad, promised a full investigation after the claim by Swiss-based Sportradar surfaced in a Singapore newspaper.

A Games official told media "OCA takes this matter seriously and works with the Asian Football Confederation and international federation (FIFA) for a proper and full investigation."

In Singapore's The New Paper, Sportradar Director of Strategy and Integrity Andreas Krannich said betting patterns strongly indicated match-fixing at the tournament in Incheon, South Korea.

Krannich stated "we can say that we strongly believe there have been manipulated matches at the Asian Games."

Krannich did not reveal the teams involved but said attention was focusing on at least one game where late goals were scored, adding "for example, on a certain match in this competition, bettors were incredibly confident of a goal being scored in the final minutes.

"The odds movements and the deviations caused alerts, belying clear betting evidence that could never be justified in a regular contest."

Krannich went on to tell the newspaper "a number of matches were manipulated in the same fashion, suggesting that the same syndicate is operating in Incheon, South Korea." 

The AFC has subsequently issued a statement that reads "the AFC would like to confirm that we are closely monitoring the situation.

"The AFC is working collaboratively with the Olympic Council of Asia to look into the matter, backed by a strong cooperative agreement between the two parties.

"We are also working hand in hand with Sportradar to thoroughly review the provided information on suspicious betting patterns."

The statement concluded "the AFC is determined to eradicate match fixing in Asia and we will ensure that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of our goal."

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