Four hauled by CPIB for recent LionsXII-Sarawak match fixing probe

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http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC120524-0000001/LionsXII-win-over-Sarawak-under-cloud

Just three months after two Malaysian Super League (MSL) matches involving the LionsXII were reportedly red-flagged by world football governing body FIFA for suspected match fixing, yet another fixture involving the Singapore side has come under the microscope.

Sources revealed that four men - two Malaysians, a Singaporean, and MSL referee Shukri Nor - have been taken into custody by the Corrupt Practices Investigations Bureau (CPIB) here and could be charged as early as today, for attempting to fix Tuesday's MSL encounter at the Jalan Besar Stadium between the LionsXII and Sarawak, which the Singapore side won 3-0.

TODAY understands none of the four are current football players.

Referee Shukri was originally scheduled to officiate the match but he was replaced at the last minute by Mohd Tarmizi, and did not take to the field.

"At the team manager's meeting, we were surprised that the original referee did not turn up," said Sarawak coach Robert Alberts, who on Tuesday admitted that his charges were given a "lesson in football" by the LionsXII who "absolutely deserved to win."

"The fact that arrests have been made, along with the fact that some of my players actually played below par at that game, is very sad," Alberts added.

LionsXII central defender Baihakki Khaizan was disappointed, saying: "Honestly we don't even want to hear about such things. As far as we're concerned, football is a sport and we will keep giving our best to win every game."