V-League side Vissai Ninh Binh have sought permission from the VFF and the VPF to stay away from play this season.— Photo xaluan

HA NOI (VNS) — V-League side Vissai Ninh Binh have sought permission from the Viet Nam Football Federation and the Viet Nam Professional Football Joint Stock Company to stay away from play this season.

In an official document sent to the two organisations last night, Ninh Binh said this was in order to investigate allegations of match-fixing by their footballers.

Pham Van Le, chairman of the club, confirmed it and said, "We suspect that our players are involved in match-fixing. Over the past few months, we have received information related to the team's results in both Asia's second tier Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup and the V-League. The team's boss Hoang Manh Truong got furious and decided to stop all activities of the team to investigate the matter. We have requested the police to make things clear."

The matches over which Truong had doubts are the ones in which Ninh Binh lost to Quang Ninh 1-3 and to Binh Duong 2-5 in the national premier league, and won against Malaysia's Kelatan 3-2 in the AFC event.

Yesterday, coach Nguyen Van Sy also told all players that they would not be playing any matches in the AFC and domestic tournaments anymore.

The team has had three wins at the AFC Cup and has won a berth in the second round. They would have made it to the event's quarter-finals or semi-finals.

In the V-League, Ninh Binh is ranked No 11 out of 13 teams and has seven points after eight matches. The match between the team and Hoang Anh Gia Lai tomorrow won't be taken place.

According to Pham Ngoc Vien, VPF's general director, this is unprecedented in Viet Nam's football history. It means the team will stop playing in football events.

Today, the VPF will hold a meeting to resolve the issue. — VNS