Vietnamese football tries to clean up its act
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-10-02 14:24

But there is still a long way to go.

In 2002, a special police task force investigating the activities of Ho Chi Minh City mafia boss Nam Cam gave the VFF a list of around 20 players allegedly implicated in match-fixing.

The VFF assured the Asian Football Confederation that anyone found guilty would be punished.

In November 2003, international midfielder Vu Nhu Thanh was banned from playing professional football for five years.

State media said he allegedly instructed teammates to underperform during a match in a local tournament, but the federation only admitted he was punished because of his "negative attitude" and "for showing signs of match-fixing".

The names of those implicated and of their clubs have been withheld pending investigations. Police expect to finish a first round of investigations in October before deciding to hand over the matter to judicial authorities.

"These people only want money. They have betrayed millions of fans here," fumed sports journalist Dang Tuan Hung at Ho Chi Minh City's The Thao daily.

"Never before were players' and referees' reputations as tainted," said Hung.

Last year, the federation admitted it had drawn up a "blacklist" of 75 people including top players. The names were never made public.

Since early September, both the men's and women's international teams have been given security escorts as a measure to prevent corruption.