KUALA LUMPUR: No matchfixing suspicion surrounds any of Lebanon’s World Cup qualifying matches according to the Asian Football Confederation writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
The AFC made its comment after received an interim report from the Lebanese Football Association on an investigation and disciplinary action over two dozen Lebanese player suspects.
Earlier this week the LFF said punishments – including lifetime bans for Malaysian-based defender Ramez Dayoub and Indonesian-based forward Mahmoud El-Ali – had been imposed after concerns over international fixtures and AFC Cup matches.
Dayoub, who has protested his innocence, joined Selangor last year from Myanmar side Magway FC. He played for Lebanon in the current World Cup qualifying competition last June, in a 3-0 defeat in South Korea.
Apparently this match was not under suspicion though, in an earlier match, he had been guilty of a badly misplaced pass which handed Qatar with their 1-0 match-winner in Beirut.
Lebanon coach Theo Buecker has said ”after seeing this from Dayoub, I kicked him out” of the team.
The confederation stated: “The has no knowledge on any suspicion surrounding Lebanon’s any of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.”
The LFF has notified associations in India, Malaysia and Indonesia about sanctions on Lebanese players contracted in those countries.
The three players who are playing outside Lebanon are: Mahmoud El Ali (Persiba Balipapan, Indonesia), Ramez Dayoub (Selangor, Malaysia) and Akram Moghrani (Churchill Brothers, India).
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