2 Vietnam national team soccer players arrested for bribery

Two former players of Vietnam's national soccer team were arrested in the country's widening match fixing and bribery scandal, state-controlled media reported Friday.

Photo: 2 Vietnam national team soccer players arrested for bribery

Huynh Hong Son and Ho Van Loi, who played for the Saigon Port, were taken into police custody near Hanoi on Thursday, the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper said.

Son and Loi were accused of receiving 30 million dong (US$1,900; Ђ 1,495) and 20 million dong (US$1,250; Ђ 983) respectively from Song Lam Nghe An to help the soccer team from central Vietnam to win the championship title in the 2000-01 season, it said.

The arrests came after another Saigon Port player, Truong Tan Hai, who was arrested in March, told police that he took bribes of 300 million dong (US$19,000; Ђ 14,940) from Song Lam Nghe An, and distributed the money among 14 players on his team.

In that final match, Saigon Port defeated rival Nam Dinh 5-0 to help Song Lam Nghe An secure the championship title of the debuted V-League.

Nguyen Huu Thang, former coach of Song Lam Nghe An, and his assistant Nguyen Xuan Vinh were arrested in January, accused of bribery and embezzlement respectively.

Scores of players, officials and referees have been implicated in multiple scandals in recent months, reports the AP.

I.L.