Iran vs Sierra Leone friendly. ALLEGED match fixing. Investigation on going by Fifa

[Hadi]

First of all, I know we are just a few months away from the WC and controversy is the last thing we need.
But like it or not this matter is now in the news and being reported by credible media like the BBC, so we cant pretend its not happening and not discuss it.
This thread should serve as a place where we can post update and discuss the matter and potential consequences.
I don't need to remind you that match fixing on national level is EXTREMELY SERIOUS matter.

Here are the links to the content of the news:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43533796

http://www.varzesh3.com/news/1513488...B1%D8%A7%D9%86

https://khabarfarsi.com/u/52712279


Here is what allegedly has happened:

The head of Sierra Leone FA has written to FIFA asking them to investigate this friendly. According to her, the friendly was not approved by the Sierra Leone FA and the team who traveled to Iran did not represent the National A Team.

upon arrival in Iran, the Iranian media also picked up on the fact that the team which traveled to Iran was not the main team, However Mr. Taj of IFF wrote a letter to Sierra Leone FA and pleaded them not to cancel the match due to "financial losses and disruption in TM preparations"

Right now, FIFA is investigating claims that this match was a scandal and a fix to make money on betting etc.


now the above are the facts reported by Iranian and English websites.

There are rumors that there has been between 150 to 200 thousand euros bets on multiple betting agencies on a 4-0 result with a 1 to 15 odd.
Also there are rumors that the Iranian FA may have been also in on this (and not just Sierra Leone team/officials/FA)...I personally think chances of this is low but you never know with IFF and Iran.


Hopefully the FIFA investigation does not reveal any irregularities.

[YeCheesi Tala]

Sierra what? Sore losers

[Leicester City]

Hey FIFA motherfuckers! Look into the Esteghlal-Al Ain game for match fixing YOU FUCKING HAMROLLS!!!

[Bagg10]

We can't even get a friendly with Sierra Leone's A team

[Ali Doust]

Reality is, this shoudve been a B Team matchup. Don't federations have B-team matches anymore?

[BacheLot]

FIFA judges will never buy such an accusation..!!
simply too shrewd and clever of a scheme to accuse our Federation of...!!

yet, i sure wouldn't put it past the typically scandalous Africans/in this case Sierra Leone FA/NT-players, to be easily bought-out by the gambling mafias, especially some those supposed SL national team players (cough...cough...!! their Goal-keeper..! ) to go to such extremes in order to score a loot from the betting sites..!! i mean did you guys notice some of those goals he conceded against us..?? loool

[FeLFeL]

So Iran's Federation contacts Sierra Leon's federation for a friendly, somehow the correspondence is mishandled (due to Sierra Leon Federation's corruption and incompetence which they admitted to themselves) and doesn't get to the person in charge but is still approved somehow and they send their B team or whatever to Tehran.

AFTER their B team gets to Tehran, they realize that a bunch of their players travelled to Iran without their knowledge (not believable at all but okay), but even after finding out, the lady president of the federation allows the game to go on; "...in order to preserve "long-term future relations with Iran" - And now she wants to holler about match-fixing and something shady that she thinks might have taken place???

Pshhh PLEASE...Sounds like she needs to fight to win control of her own federation first before she starts throwing serious accusations around about us.

[O-ZoNe]

This missing link in Hadi's facts are that SL FA has pretty much ruled out IFF direct involvement. They note TM went through all the proper channels to organize the match but people without authorization in SL responded to communications meant for FA officials including the president! This is just SL FA infighting but it does in my opinion require IFF to demand all they money spent on this match to be returned ASAP!

Sent from my ME173X using Tapatalk

[Bi-honar]

Few important issues here:

1 - Match-fixers aren't typically the winners or in the winning team, rather with or in the losing team

2 - For TM to have stopped at 4-0, either a bunch of our players would have had to be involve OR it would have happened with the knowledge of both IFF & CQ... let's face it, both of those scenarios are impossible.

3 - That leaves the match-fixers on the Sierra Leone side with potentially some of their players involved, so it has nothing to do with us and the BBC article makes mention of that... they were involved in another match-fixing investigation.

[rnazer]

"credible media like the BBC" LOL

[persiangodfather]

this is what happens when we play with these farmers

[Abtin]

Try ask, why would anybody fix this match?

[persian_pooya]

Funny thing is we weren't even supposed to play Sierra Leone in the first place. Libya cancelled their friendly game with us causing IFF to find a last minute replacement which was Sierra Leone..

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[KasraKhan]

Which betting agencies would allow bets for Iran's B team vs Sierra Leone's C team on a non-FIFA day friendly? I know these agencies have sources everywhere, but that's a bit of a stretch.

[Sly]

Who the h*ll wants to bet on an Iran-Sierra Leone friendly game to begin with?!