2013 Lebanese match fixing scandal

In 2013, Lebanese footballers, Ramez Dayoub (playing for Selangor FA) and Mahmoud El Ali (playing in Persiba Balikpapan), were banned for life by the Lebanese Football Association for participating in match fixing scandals.^[1] 22 players were investigated for this.

Overview

FIFA held an investigation in order to crack down on match fixing across the world. The investigation was mostly concentrated on European football, but the investigation also took place in Africa, South America and in Asia. In 2012, over 50 countries were under investigation for match-fixing. That number being about one quarter of the entire 209 member in FIFA’s governing body.^[2]

The Lebanese match fixing scandal was a report that led to the suspension of 24 Lebanese players in domestic clubs in Lebanon, Asian clubs, and even the Lebanese national team.^[3] The suspicion of a scandal within Lebanese football began in late 2012, when a large number of Lebanese players were accused of purposely losing games in the Lebanese league and other leagues across Asia. The scandal was not limited to only matches being played in football leagues across Asia, but also took place on the international level. The players would be bribed by large betting companies in order to throw away the game or put the other team in favor of winning the match.^[3] Once the scandal came to life, Lebanon’s Football Association began to investigate the allegations that were being made against the Lebanese football players. The LFA (Lebanese Football Association) appointed the General Secretary of West Asian Football Federation Fadi Zreiqat in order to lead the investigation. During the 2 month long investigation that involved more than 60 witnesses, the General Secretary of West Asian Football Federation Fadi Zreiqat conclusion proved that match fixing was actually occurring.^[3]

In total, 24 players and 2 officials were involved in the match fixing scandal. Soon after Fadi Zreiqat’s conclusion, the Lebanese Football Association provided the players allocated in the scandal with fines and also suspensions from playing the sport. 20 Lebanese football players were suspended from playing the sport for 1 year and given a $3000 fine, while 2 players were suspended for 3 years and given each a $7000 fines.^[4] These 22 players that were fined and suspended either belonged to the domestic league in Lebanon or other leagues across Asia. The most severe punishments came to Ramez Dayoub and Mahmoud Al Ali. These 2 players were given each a $15 000 fine and banned from playing the sport for life. Ramez Dayoub and Mahmoud Al Ali both play for Lebanon’s national football team and also club teams in Asia. The reason why Ramy Dyoub and Mahmoud Al Ali punishments were more severe than the other players was because the match fixing took place on the international level while they were playing for the national team of Lebanon. Mahmoud Al Ali and Ramez Dyoub have been associated with attempting and succeeding to throw away and manipulate the match on different occasions. The matches that these two players are allocated in are believed to be a tournament that took place in Saudi Arabia and there are rumors that they also took place during a match against Qatar in the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers.^[5]

Lebanon advanced for the first time in its history to the 4th and final round of the World Cup Qualifiers, but because of the match fixing scandal which led to a crucial loss, their hopes of qualifying for the 2014 tournament decreased significantly. Theo Bucker, the German coach who took control of Lebanon’s national team in 2011 and took the team from being unsuccessful and having a negative performance, transformed the national team and made Lebanon qualify to the final round of the World Cup Qualification, he was extremely disappointed and frustrated. Theo Bucker made football the most watched sport in Lebanon and brought tremendous success by beating the Asian football giants Iran and South Korea. In 2012, Lebanon lost to Qatar in the World Cup Qualifiers 1-0. Ramez Dayoub had given an extremely terrible pass that was intercepted by the Qatar striker Sebastian Soria who gave Qatar their only goal to defeat Lebanon. After the investigation was complete, Bucker had the following to say : “We were showing some action and then suddenly a (Qatar) player has the ball in a one-on-one situation and you get the feeling that something is wrong. The guy looked paralysed or something.” His frustration toward Ramez Dayoub continued when he said “ I never came close to the idea that someone could not just sell the game, but sell their country”.^[5]

Soon after the Lebanese Football Associations handed out these penalties to the players involved in the match fixing scandal, FIFA sent a letter to the Lebanese Football Association and praised them for the way they responded to the report.^[6]

Plot

Ramez Dayoub was pulled minutes before by his own team-mates before the AFC Cup match against Kingfisher East Bengal. Selangor FA lost the match 1-0 as Lalrindika Ralte scored a goal. Besides being banned for life they were also fined $15,000. Ramez told Fox Sports "I am not guilty. They have suspended me and accused me of matchfixing without any evidence or proof,"^[7] Another two domestic players, Al-Negma's Mohamad Jaafar and Al Ahed's Hadi Sahmarani, were banned for three seasons and handed $7,000 fines for their involvement. Ten more of Sahmarani's team mates at the Lebanese Premier League club were banned for a year and each given $2,000 fines. Among the 22, one is Akram Moghrabi, who played for Churchill Brothers S.C. in 2012-13 I-League.^[8] The AFC has received the summary report from the LFA on their investigations and subsequent action against involvement of Lebanese players in match-fixing. AFC has also requested LFA to provide the full investigation report. The LFA has informed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the federations of Malaysia and Indonesia of sanctions on Lebanese players plying their trade in these countries.

Bans-Fines

Life bans

Ramez Dayoub
Mahmoud Al Ali

Fines

• The following players were banned for three seasons and fined USD$5000 each:

Mohamad Jaafar
Hadi Al Sahmrani

• The following players were banned for one season and fined USD$2000 each:

Akram Moghrabi
Ali Al Saadi
Ahmad Zreik
Ali Faour
Ali Bazzi
Abbas Kanaan
Ahmad Younnes
Bashar El Mokdad
Hassan Mezher
Hassan Alawiye
Hussein Charife
Hussein Dakik
Mohammad Younes
Mohammad Hammoud
Mohammad Abou Atik
Nazih Assaad
Omar Owaida
Samer Zeineddine
Tarek Ali

References