Jordan complains against Palestine over suspected match fixing

AMMAN — The Jordan Football Association (JFA) has submitted an official complaint to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) against the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) over suspicions of match fixing in the AFC Asian Cup in Australia.

JFA Vice President Salah Sabra said on Thursday that a video posted on YouTube showing PFA President Jibreel Rjoub telling Iraqi players that he hopes they beat Palestine points to potential rigging, as Iraq won 2-0, depriving Jordan of any chance to qualify to the next round.

If Palestine had won, the national team would have had a chance of reaching the knockout stage.

Jordan lost to Japan 0-2 on Tuesday, ending its run at the 16th Asian Cup. The team had lost to Iraq 0-1 in its opening match and beaten Palestine 5-1.

In the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1421828030&v=FjSceJ9tjyU&x-yt-cl=84411374), taken ahead of the Iraq-Palestine match, Rjoub is seen telling Iraqi players: “I hope you beat us, and the most important thing is that you have to qualify.” 

Japan and Iraq qualified to the second round.

Sabra expressed shock over Rjoub’s public statement, adding that JFA had supported the Palestinian team in its attempts to qualify to the AFC Asian Cup. This year was the first time the team successfully qualified to the championship.

“We’ve spent years supporting them to qualify to this tournament,” Sabra added. 

The JFA official said that if match fixing accusations are proven, those involved face a lifelong football ban.