VIENTIANE, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Lao Football Federation (LFF) said it was shocked following the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s recent decision which found Lao players guilty of match-fixing.
The federation said they had confirmed the receipt of the decision regarding match manipulation by the AFC, whereby 15 Lao football players have been banned for life due to alleged match manipulation. The decision has already been notified to all concerned, according to Lao state-run media Vientiane Times on Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the AFC Disciplinary Committee has issued a lifetime ban from football-related activities to 15 players from Laos for involvement in the manipulation of matches involving the representative teams of Laos and the club Lao Toyota FC.
The LFF said it was stunned by the decision, as it always undertakes every possible effort to fight against the menace of match manipulation, has regularly educated and warned Lao football players and officials about the dangers of match manipulation through several seminars, and has always believed in the integrity of every local player.
The federation noted that regardless, it was important to stress that the decision was not final, as the players and individuals have the possibility to appeal to the AFC Appeal Committee.
As the case was ongoing and those involved were able to appeal within 10 days, the LFF said it was not in a position to comment any further. The LFF also urged the public to consume the news on all media channels responsibly, reported Vientiane Times.
