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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has handed lengthy bans to a Mongolian football official and player after determining they attempted to manipulate the outcome of a Women’s Asian Champions League match.
In a statement, the AFC announced that football official Munkhtsetseg Batkhuu has been banned from all football-related activities for 10 years, while player Namuuna Narmandakh has been suspended for five years.
According to the regional football body, the sanctions relate to an attempt to influence the result of a preliminary-stage match between Philippine club Stallion Laguna and Mongolia’s Khovd Western on August 25, 2025.
The game, played in Yangon, Myanmar, ended in a dominant 6-1 victory for Stallion Laguna. Although Narmandakh was part of the investigation, records show she did not feature in the match itself.
The AFC did not disclose full details of how the alleged manipulation attempt was carried out, but stressed that the punishments reflect its firm stance against corruption and unethical conduct in football competitions across Asia.
“These sanctions reaffirm the AFC’s zero-tolerance policy against any type of match manipulation and its continued commitment to protecting the integrity of Asian football,” the governing body said.
Match manipulation and other illegal betting-related activities have remained a major concern for football authorities globally, with governing bodies increasing monitoring and disciplinary measures to protect the credibility of competitions.
The Women’s Asian Champions League is one of the AFC’s flagship competitions for women’s club football and forms part of broader efforts to grow the women’s game across the continent.
The latest disciplinary action is expected to serve as a warning to clubs, players, and officials about the consequences of attempting to influence match outcomes.
