KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Singapore (FAS)’s prompt action in reporting the alleged illegal approach and attempt to bribe two Victory SC players before the Maldivian club’s AFC Cup 2008 match against Home United of Singapore has come in for praise from AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam.

The FAS alerted AFC and Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CIPB) on Tuesday night after an unidentified man approached two foreign players of Victory SC and offered them bribes to manipulate their match against Home United on Wednesday evening which the Singaporean club eventually won 2-1. An investigation has already been launched into the incident by AFC.

“AFC welcomes the initiative and urgency shown by FAS in this matter,” said Bin Hammam. “The FAS and AFC share the same view that match-fixing is a cancer which damages the integrity of football, the teams and ultimately the players.”

“Bribery and match-fixing by illegal betting syndicates are scourges which are destroying the game and AFC is committed to eradicating them and keeping Asian football clean. AFC will take all possible measures to fight against such elements who are corrupting the game,” added Bin Hammam.

“We will pursue this matter to its logical end and concentrate our energies on finding out the truth,” said the AFC chief, who also noted that Singapore has for long been at the forefront of the war against corruption in football.