"Fixing should be stopped and those involved in it should be punished," Ghale said at the post match conference after his side´s 7-0 win over Brigade Boys Club. [break]
Ghale who has been a big time critic of the referee further stressed on the improvement of referee´s competence. "If ANFA does not take initiatives to stop match fixing, enhance the competence of referees and punish them for their wrongdoings, MMC will quit the National League no matter if we win the title or finish runners up," Ghale said.
"There is no point in making huge investments in football if match fixing prevails and referees´ mistakes continues to take its toll on clubs," Ghale added.
Match fixing is rampant in the Nepal´s league football and ANFA has not taken any serious steps so far to check it. Machhindra´s 3-0 win over Bansbari was rumored to be a fixed match.
In the last edition of the league, numerous fixed matches were played. For instance, APF´s 8-0 win over Machhindra Club in its last match helped the departmental team avoid relegation.
Similarly, referees´ decisions have often courted controversy in the domestic football. Coaches of all teams other than Three Star´s Meghraj KC have time and again criticized the referee decision. Coaches have demanded punishment for such referees openly but ANFA has never punished them.
MMC´s coach Lee-Tae Ho, also the former World Cup player for South Korean, raised suspicions over referee´s impartiality. He had predicted, "The quality of Nepali football can not be improved in the absence of fair and competent referees."
"Referees have been punished internally and punished openly when found to have committed grave mistakes. Open punishment in minor cases will only demoralize them," said senior referee Surendra Shrikhrakar.
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