No evidence of Lebanon-qatar WC fix
Bucker broken after scandal
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 28, (Agencies): A match-fixing investigation in Lebanon produced no evidence that a national team defender helped Qatar win a 2014 World Cup qualifier, the Asian Football Confederation said Thursday.
Attempting to control widespread speculation on the match, the Asian governing body said it studied a summary report from an investigation into matchfixing and bribery ordered by the Lebanon Football Association.
“AFC has no knowledge on any suspicion surrounding Lebanon’s ... 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches,” it said in a statement.
On Monday, the Lebanon FA banned national team defender Ramez Dayoub for life among 24 players receiving suspensions of at least one season. They included six players who have represented Lebanon in its ongoing campaign to qualify for the World Cup.
The sanctions revived speculation on Dayoub’s misplaced pass which led to Qatar’s goal in a 1-0 win in Beirut last June. The match began the fourth round of Asian qualifying with the top two finishers advancing to Brazil from a fiveteam group that includes Iran, South Korea and Uzbekistan. Lebanon is last in the group but remains in contention.
The AFC congratulated the Lebanon FA on its actions, and has requested “the full investigation report.”
Lebanese officials, who invited Jordan FA general secretary Fadi Zreiqat to investigate the case, concluded that players took money to lose domestic and other matches in Asia for betting scams.
“AFC has also set up an internal task force to educate the member associations on ways and measures to combat this menace, and monitor and coordinate with everyone involved to fight match-fixing in AFC competitions,” the governing body said.
All 24 players, including Dayoub, who played in Malaysia for Selangor, and two other players representing clubs outside Lebanon, were also suspended across the AFC’s 46 member countries.
FIFA will be asked to extend the sanctions to apply worldwide.
Lebanon coach Theo Bucker said he was ‘broken’ and unsure if he would continue in the job with the World Cup hopefuls after 24 players were punished for allegedly fixing international and club matches.
The German coach has been the driving force behind Lebanon’s fairytale run to the final stages of World Cup qualifying for the first time as the West Asians chase an unlikely place in Brazil.
“A whole country was hoping to do something different. Now everything has been demolished,” the German told United Arab Emirates newspaper Sport 360.
“I’m looking in the next two or three days to have a meeting with the federation to talk about my position.
“I don’t know yet what I will do, I need to speak to the board and the president. I can’t say whether I will continue or not,” Bucker said.
“Inside, I’m broken. I really need to think things over and make the right decision, that’s it.”
Bucker has guided the team to memorable World Cup qualifying victories over regional heavyweights Iran and South Korea despite the team being ranked a lowly 178th by FIFA less than two years ago.
A 1-0 defeat by Qatar in November hit their hopes of taking one of the two qualifying spots from the five-team Group A with another defeat away to pool leaders Uzbekistan next month likely to end their Brazilian dreams.
It is not the first time Lebanon has been caught up in a matchfixing scandal.
“The tragic thing is when I came to Lebanon 12 years ago, I was facing the same situation,” Bucker said.
“Lebanon got kicked out of the federation because of match fixing, now after 10 years I come back and there is exactly the same situation.”
The Lebanese FA said the players were entitled to appeal the decision but added that some of them have directly confessed to their involvement in rigging games.
The second incident leaving the muchtravelled coach at a crossroads.
“Personally, I’m very disappointed with a couple of guys I really trusted,” the 64-year-old said.