Whoops! FIFA Laws 45 Lao Soccer Players Banned For Life For Involvement In Match Fixing

Illustration of Laos footballers ( Instagram.com/@lff_official)

JAKARTA - FIFA imposed harsh sanctions on 45 Lao footballers after the 2020 AFF Cup in early January. The players are involved in match-fixing or fixing the score.

As a form of strict punishment, all players involved in this dishonorable act were banned from playing football for life. Quoted from Thmeythmey, the sanction was decided on January 7, 2022, in Laos because the 45 players were proven to have been involved in match-fixing in local competitions or tournaments over the years.

"Currently as many as 45 footballers have been banned from playing football for life by FIFA for their involvement in match-fixing that has occurred over the years in many national-level tournaments", said Lao Football Federation (LFF) Secretary-General, Kanya Kaewman.

Despite mentioning the names of 45 players who were sanctioned, the LFF did not mention in detail the names of the players involved in fixing the score. In addition, it was not stated whether the players involved took similar actions while defending the Laos national team.

Meanwhile, LFF Vice President, Khampeng Vongkhanty, called the behavior of the 45 players very shameful. According to Khampeng Vongkhanty, his party was reluctant to accept back the players involved in football activities in Laos.

"The LFF refuses to take back the 45 players. It doesn't matter how talented they are", stressed Khampeng Vongkhanty.