Association bans six Malaysian booters for life
Association bans six Malaysian booters for life
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia's football federation has banned
six footballers for life for match-fixing in an unprecedented
move following a protracted bribery scandal, news reports and
officials said yesterday.
"This is the first time a life ban has been meted out by the
Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)," a FAM official said.
FAM, in a statement released late Wednesday, said the six
players from Malaysia's eastern Sabah state team, including
former national skipper Matlan Marjan, had been banned for life
for fixing matches in this season's professional league.
The decision was taken after FAM's disciplinary board studied
the explanation offered by the players and found them guilty of
bringing disrepute to the game and the association, FAM officials
said.
Matlan, along with G. Raveychandran, Junaidy Tuah, Charles
Tindi, Gerard Mojiliu and Matussin Bowie were issued show-cause
letters last month.
"We have noted their explanations and we found that all six
had brought disrepute to the game, Zaman Khan, FAM's disciplinary
board chairman was reported yesterday saying in the New Straits
Times daily.
The suspension was in line with the disciplinary guidelines
issued by the FAM council, Zaman said. The six have 14 days to
appeal against the ban.
FAM officials said the six could not be charged in court as
there was insufficient evidence to prove their guilt. The six
were instrumental in helping Sabah win the FA Cup over central
Pahang state this season.
The six are the first batch of players to be banned for life
for their involvement in match-fixing and bribery which had
rocked Malaysian football last year.
Before their arrest in July, 21 players were banished and sent
into internal exile and banned from playing for periods ranging
from one to four years.
Fifty-eight others who had admitted involvement in fixing
matches last season were also banned for up to four years.
They were among 150 Malaysian football players and officials
arrested in a nation-wide swoop from April to November last year
on those suspected of rigging matches in the inaugural premier
league.
The Malaysian league turned professional two years ago, and
has lost many of its top players in the clampdown following the
scandal.