Vietnamese Player Jailed for Match-Fixing

A Vietnamese footballer was Monday jailed for two-and-a-half years for fixing an AFC Cup match against a Malaysian team, state media reported.

Eight other members of the Vissai Ninh Binh FC team were given suspended sentences of up to 27 months for manipulating the result of the match against Malaysian club Kelantan in March, the VNExpress online newspaper said.

A bookmaker was also jailed for 30 months at the trial in northern Ninh Binh province.

Local media reports said the Vietnamese side bet on beating the unfancied Malaysians in their regional trophy tie by a single goal margin.

According to the Thanh Nien newspaper, the Vietnamese players won one billion dong ($48,000) after defeating Kelantan 3-2.

The players were arrested late April.

Gambling on football is illegal but widespread in communist Vietnam.

Most major syndicates bet on foreign matches, but the domestic V-League has faced a slew of allegations of corruption and match-fixing since its debut 2000-2001 season.