With the draw having just occurred in Brazil determining the qualifying groups for the 2014 World Cup, the old sin of match-fixing has reared its head. The Asian Football Confederation is investigating what they believe are unusual betting patterns in a two-legged tie between Cambodia and Laos. Cambodia won the first leg in Phnom Penh 4-2 but lost to Laos in the second leg 6-2 in Vientiane. Apparently, approaching the 88th minute, there was high betting activity, before Cambodia scored. FIFA’s Early Warning System, a betting monitoring software, emphasized the unique betting patterns.
This is just one instance in many in which match-fixing is prevalent. Referees from Hungary and Bosnia are being investigated for match manipulation after their involvement in two international matches in Turkey in which all seven goals were the result of penalties.