Australia Aim to Combat Match Fixing During 2015 Asian Cup

Asian Football Confederation out to crack down match fixing during the 2015 Asian Cup (Image: CalvinAyre.com).

Asian sides have had a tournament to forget at the 2014 World Cup, with all four national teams crashing out in the group stage, but they will have an opportunity to make amends at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

And with the tournament in Brazil having just finished, the Asian Football Confederation has already started preparations for the high-profile even that will be held in Australia, with the war on match-fixing one of their primary goals at the moment.

There were some allegations of foul play at the 2014 World Cup, with the Croatia v Cameroon match coming under close inspection, and AFC are determined to ensure the continent’s biggest tournament does not suffer the same destiny.

The 2015 Asian Cup organizing committee chief executive Michael Brown has warned anyone attempting to manipulate results or resell tickets they will face serious sanctions.

Mr Brown has revealed that each of the 46 member nations were instructed to appoint an integrity officer, while a number of workshops for coaches and players will be held at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in the next few months.

AFC Deploy Sports Radar to Monitor Betting Activity

AFC have deployed betting monitoring company Sports Radar to supervise global wagering on 2015 Asian Cup matches to ensure any potential suspicious patterns are identified as quickly as possible.

Sports Radar has already had some success in the field, having notified the police of illegal wagering on Victorian Premier League matches, with their actions eventually leading to fines for two English players and a three-year sentence for the head of the match-fixing syndicate.

Asian Football Confederation will use Ticketek to sell match tickets for the Asian Cup events, hoping to avoid controversy that surrounded the official hospitality partner for the 2014 World Cup.

About 2015 Asian Cup

The 16th edition of the tournament takes place in Australia from 9th to 31st January 2015, with the winner of the tournament earning a chance to represent the continent at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

A total of 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four, with Palestine making their debut at the Asian Cup tournaments. The five host cities include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle, with the final match taking place at the Stadium Australia in Sydney.