The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) red flagging six matches of the 2019-2020 Goa Professional League (GPL) of Goa Football Association (GFA) is a good indicator that the governing body of Asian football is alert to manipulations. But, the six matches flagged just proved that betting in Goa is taking a professional tone with no evidence on match-fixing or manipulation.
The six matches signaled by AFC were between the stronger teams and weaker teams of the GPL and all the results were predictable and good betting house use experts to predict results to provide odds to punters. In these six cases, the odds markers did justice.
The AFC report discusses matches involving Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC, Sporting Clube de Goa and FC Goa – the four top teams – in terms of players and financial power- of GPL lesser equipped teams and the results of the six matches left none following the game in doubts of any match- fixing because the winners of all matches were predictable.
The AFC had written to AIFF Integrity officer Javed Niraj informing him about, “suspicious betting patterns indicative of match manipulation” during the six matches from October 16 to November 19, 2019.
The GFA investigated and zeroed their probe on one Gabriel Fernandes , who according to the GFA report was found relaying live commentary during an I-league match , GPL matches and ISL matches in Goa. Relaying live commentary can be attributed to changing the odds by a betting house but not indicative of manipulating matches.
Gabriel Fernandes, as per the GFA report to AIFF, was found at the Nehru stadium during an I-League match between Churchill Brothers FC and Gokulam Kerala FC with an entry card issued by AIFF. The report claims that the card stated he was representing Genius Group as a reporter and that the same group had links with Betfair – a well known and registered betting group in the United Kingdom.
The AIFF, on its part, has in a statement stated that it follows a zero- tolerance policy to any sort of corruption in sports. “AIFF Integrity Officer Mr. Javed Siraj is currently looking into monitored reports from Sportsradar , a company engaged by Asian Football Confederation in reference to fixing allegations in the Goa Professional League which is hosted and conducted by the Goa Football Association .”
Gabriel was seen in many matches and was openly in conversation over the phone. “Corner “; “Saved”; “8(jersey number of player) crossed “; “Saved” were words used by him on the phone. Like Gabriel , there have been boys who were giving permission by GFA to sit in the press box at the Duler stadium in Mapusa and they too relayed information through their smart phones to betting firms in the UK.
Relaying live information to a betting company in the UK is in no way any indication of match manipulation. No one wanting to fix a match would do so in public view. It was obvious then and has become clear now that information about matches of the Goa Professional League is being passed on to betting firms outside the State.
The results of the six matches flagged by AFC were predictable to any one following football in Goa. The score lines may not have been. But casting aspersion of match fixing on players, coaches or team officials will definitely not help football in India go forward.
Betting is illegal in India as in many countries in Asia. If betting is a problem, AFC and AIFF need to address that separately and not soil players, team officials and the sport with charges that allude to match-fixing or manipulation.
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