Suspect who tried to bribe two Belize players identified

Portland (Oregon), July 13 (IANS/CMC) CONCACAF says it has identified a suspect accused of attempting to bribe two Belize players into throwing their Gold Cup match against the US.

A CONCACAF statement did not reveal the identity of the alleged match-fixer but a probe was carried out after claims from Woodrow West and Ian Gaynair, reports CMC.

West and Gaynair turned down the bribe, and the US ended up winning the match 6-1.

"CONCACAF was notified of an attempt to bribe Belize national team players Woodrow West and Ian Gaynair July 7, two days ahead of their Group A, Gold Cup match against the United States that took place in Portland," the statement said.

"Both players directly approached confederation officials immediately after the incident took place to report the attempted offence. Initial findings of this investigation have resulted in a positive identification of the individual attempting the bribery."

Belize is making its first appearance in the Gold Cup which is held every two years.

The CONCACAF statement also says that the matter is now a subject of ongoing investigations.

"We want to thank Woodrow West and Ian Gaynair and recognise them for their bravery and commitment to preserving the integrity of our game," the statement said.

"The fight against match-manipulation is a top priority for CONCACAF. In alignment with FIFA guidelines and with the help of outside entities such as Interpol, we have taken all necessary measures to ensure the legitimacy of each game played throughout the 2013 Gold Cup."

In recent months, CONCACAF, FIFA and Interpol have conducted three separate seminars with all member associations in the region on match manipulation.

--IANS/CMC

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