A soccer player has been disqualified for Vietnam's 2005-2006 first-division tournament and suspended for one year after attempting to rig a mach, local newspaper Youth reported Friday.

Nguyen Van Hieu, player of the Tay Ninh Club, phoned Tran Van Hieu, member of the Quang Nam Club, asking him to fix a match between the two clubs on May 6. The Tay Ninh player said he had done so for joking only.

However, the first-division organizing committee and the Vietnam Football Federation concluded that his action was unacceptable.

Vietnamese police have recently detected many cases, in which local clubs bribed referees and their opponents so that they got promoted, won championships, or did not have to be relegated in national tournaments.

Since August 2005, they have uncovered over 50 local corrupt referees, as well as managing directors and coaches of some clubs.

Source: Xinhua