New mobile app to strengthen AFC’s fight against match-fixing

As part of efforts to expand the fight against match-fixing, the new mobile application, which was implemented in collaboration with Sportradar, will complement the new integrity section on www.the-AFC.com. It has been designed to better engage with the virtual community who will now be able to report on suspicious activities through their mobile devices in real time.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “The survival of all sports, not just football, depends significantly on our ability to preserve and protect the values of fair play and honesty. Under the banner of One Asia, One Goal, the AFC has reinforced the importance to safeguard the integrity and uphold the highest professional standards in all our competitions.

“Digital media and technologies have redefined how people communicate. This new mobile app will enhance our detection abilities and our intelligence network which will further strengthen our pursuit to combat match-fixing.”

The new application, which is free and available for download in Apple’s App Store and on Google Play, will also strengthen the AFC’s 360-degree approach on match-manipulation through the implementation of measures aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to match-fixing.

At the prevention level, the AFC adopts the best governance principles by having a regulatory framework in place that acts to effectively prevent and respond to cases of match-fixing. Concurrently, the AFC also takes proactive measures to impart necessary knowledge and training to all potential targets of match-fixing, enabling them to recognise, reject and report match-fixing.

The AFC has also taken several measures to enhance it capabilities to detect match fixing. In addition to the new app, the AFC has a long-standing partnership with market leaders, Sportradar.

The agreement, which has assisted to uncover several match-fixing cases in the last year, encompasses more than 4,500 matches across Asia each year through the specifically developed AFC Monitoring System (AMS), positioning the AFC as one of the most committed sport bodies in the world on the issue of match-fixing.

Speaking about the partnership, Andreas Krannich, Sportradar’s Managing Director Integrity Services added: “We first signed with the AFC back in 2013 and I am delighted to see our partnership continuing to evolve year on year. We have monitored, we have detected, we have investigated, built and resolved cases side by side. This latest development – this new app – showcases our own commitment to technologically-driven developments to protect football’s integrity and it underlines the AFC’s forward-thinking stance to empowering its fans and stakeholders”.