The assurance that Song Lam Nghe An FC are not involved in match-fixing has been given by assistant coach Le Ky Bhoung ahead of today's AFC Cup Group F match against Terengganu at Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.
Sitting in for head coach Nguyen Huu Thang at the pre-match press conference at a hotel in Kuala Terengganu yesterday, Bhoung said match fixing was a thing of the past and the club are now free from any negative elements.
"In Vietnam, bribery in football is dead and buried," said Ky Bhoung.
Ky Bhoung said match fixing was never a factor when his team lost to Terengganu at Vinh Stadium early last month or when they became the first team in the group to beat Hong Kong's Kitchee at the same venue a month later.
"Our conscience is clear whenever we lose or win. We definitely want to win tomorrow (today) as we now have four points and a fair chance of progressing to the second round.
"Although Terengganu have yet to win at home thus far in the competition, we know they are a very good team and we still feel that we have a 50-50 chance of going through to the second round."
However, Ky Bhoung said that the Vietnam champions are without four key players as Phan Doan Dat and Tran Son Ha are serving a one-match suspension each, and Gustave Bebbe and Nguyen Ngoc Anh did not make the trip due to injury.
Terengganu coach Mat Zan Mat Aris said striker Manaf Mamat is unlikely to recover from his ankle injury in time for the match.
"In addition to our already lengthy injury list, we are also sweating over the fitness of goalkeeper Sarbinee (Allawee) and midfielder Shukor (Jusoh).
"We will not know until late if the players are available for selection.
"Just like them, this is a game we can't afford to lose and even with a makeshift squad, we will have to find a way to secure our first home win in the AFC Cup campaign," he said
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By Zainuddin Muhammad, NST
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