Foul!

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — It was a revelation that shocked the football world.   Malay Mail had on April 25 exposed a damning video that saw then Asian Football Confederation (AFC) financial director Bryan Kuan Wee Hoong claiming former AFC general-secretary Datuk Alex Soosay telling him "protect me" before asking "can you tamper or hide documents which relate to me?"   An internal probe was initiated by AFC, only for the regional body to close investigations five months later citing "inability to obtain any additional evidence". Soosay was suspended in May and quit a month later.     Former AFC general-secretary Datuk Peter Velappan expressed regret over the inaction by AFC, adding "nobody has the will to make changes".   "After spending 50 years in football, it pains me to see the bribery scandal in Fifa. Africa is gone ... so are parts of Europe and now, that disease ha...

As published in Malay Mail today Comment by Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my AND just like that, a case is closed. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) may call itself the guardian of football in this region but it lacks the will to clean up its house in Bukit Jalil.  This was despite promises of reforms which includes transparency, accountability and good governance by president Sheikh Salman Ebrahim Al Khalifa when he took office in 2013. AFC, run by officials in suits, is good in producing brief statements. But that too has somewhat regressed as they would only speak when asked repeatedly to do so.  It has been almost six months since Malay Mail exposed the ''tamper or hide'' video involving two key AFC personnel. The revelation was published on April 25. It highlighted a video showing AFC financial director Bryan Kuan Wee Hong claiming that former AFC general-secretary Datuk Alex Soosay telling him, “protect me”, before asking, “can...

As published in Malay Mail today Haresh Says By Haresh Deol THE inability to juggle transparency, accountability and professionalism is evident. Governing bodies of football are struggling to score in this department. And they seem to cloud the stakeholders —  fans and media — with technical jargon and hide behind their uptight attitude. The neatly knotted ties and tailor-made jackets may project an organised look but football administrators seem clueless in tackling the issues surrounding the world’s most popular sport. Fifa is battling a host of woes on its turf. The decision to play on artificial turf continues to draw controversy at the ongoing Women’s World Cup in Canada.  “I have plenty of blisters on my toes,” United States forward Alex Morgan was quoted as saying last week, summing up the continuous fight by female footballers who dropped a legal suit they initiated last October against the world body and Canadian Soccer Assoc...

As published in Malay Mail today HARESH SAYS by Haresh Deol A SENIOR official claims a senior colleague suggested to “hide or tamper” documents. On any other day, such accusations will warrant a full investigation. But in the case of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), it was a revelation that was video recorded and presumably kept aside.  Malay Mail had last Saturday revealed AFC financial director Bryan Kuan Wee Hoong, in a video recording on July 26, 2012, claimed AFC general secretary Datuk Alex Soosay said “protect me” before suggesting “can you tamper or hide documents that relate to me”. Kuan had, in the video, said the conversation between him and Soosay took place at the AFC House in Bukit Jalil on July 23, 2012, three days before former Fifa investigator Michael John Pride recorded the statement. This was during the 2012 audit by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Kuan refused to talk when contacted last week. Soosay vehemently denied...