The Lao Football Federation (LFF) has reported suspected match-fixing by national team players to police, following the team’s four straight losses at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.
The letter, dated 7 August, said the LFF notified the Ministry of Public Security that it suspects players may have taken bribes or been involved in gambling tied to match-fixing. It asked police to investigate the players and anyone else involved.
The LFF and police have not yet officially confirmed the leaked document.
Laos lost every match it played between 25 July and 4 August: 5-0 to Thailand, 4-0 to Malaysia, 4-1 to the Philippines, and 7-2 to Myanmar. The heavy losses and the way the team played raised suspicions among federation officials.
According to the letter, the LFF questioned all players on 2 August and 6 August. Those interviews turned up early evidence suggesting a high likelihood that wrongdoing occurred.
The document does not name any specific players. It asks authorities to investigate and determine whether any crimes or rule violations took place.
As of 14 August, neither the LFF nor police have publicly confirmed the letter or released further details on suspects or the investigation’s status.
If confirmed, the investigation is expected to determine what happened during the tournament and whether any players face legal or disciplinary action.
A Familiar Problem for Lao Football
This would not be the first match-fixing controversy in Lao football if the suspicions prove true.
In January 2022, FIFA handed lifetime bans to 45 Lao men’s players over match-fixing tied to international matches in 2017. That mass ban forced the LFF to rebuild the national team almost from scratch with younger players, most now in their early-to-mid twenties, the same generation now under suspicion.
Separately, in 2015, FIFA suspended then-LFF president Viphet Sihachakr for two years and fined him USD 39,700 after finding he had taken a bribe tied to a 2011 FIFA election.
