COUNTDOWN TO SRI LANKA
With the build-up to the Philippines v Sri Lanka game on July 3 growing @roymondous and @craigburrows will be tweeting out a COUNTDOWN TO SRI LANKA. Providing information from well-researched sources you can be assured of new and well-researched updates on the Azkals and Sri Lanka as both teams look to qualify for the second round of the World Cup Qualifying Stage to face Kuwait.
For today’s update, news from Sri Lanka is for the last year five Sri Lankan players have been suspended for allegedly match fixing. Kasun Jayasuriya, Shathis Kumar, E.B. Channa, Viraj Asanka and Maduska Piries were all suspended while the Football Federation of Sri Lanka conducted an inquiry to determine their involvement with match fixing. According to the Colombo Times in April last year it was clearly shown that those players were involved in illegal actions with former national players and coaches brought
in to testify.
With the bans being lifted for some of the players, questions are being asked about why three of the players are now being permitted to play so close to the World Cup qualifiers. Interestingly Viraj Asanka, pictured right, played for Sri Lanka in the previous three Challenge Cups. The 24 year old has been cleared of the match-fixing, along with E.B. Channa and Maduska Piries, though Kasun Jayasuriya and Shathis Kumar remain banned. As @AZKALnews researched, Jayasuriya is Sri Lanka’s top scorer ever with 27 goals. His most recent goals came in a hat-trick against Bhutan as Sri Lanka routed them 6-0. However this was in 2009 before the ban came into effect.
For more information and updates on the Azkals and the Sri Lankan teams remember to follow @roymondous and @craigburrows. Both Roy and Craig will be in Sri Lanka for the game, writing and taking photographs, so subscribe to this blog for more football news.
Next on the COUNTDOWN TO SRI LANKA, a head to head comparison of the Philippines versus Sri Lanka.
Roy Moore
Co-director of the Fairplay for All Foundation which runs Payatas FC, Kasiglahan FC and Kasiglahan Girls FC. Check out the charity and donate to support grassroots football providing education and homes for street kids: www.triplee.org.uk
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[...] by the same score. With their top keeper returning from suspension, albeit suspiciously just before the World Cup qualifiers as reported here, Sri Lanka will still be without their top scorer ever, Kasun Jayasuriya, who remains [...]
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[...] Sa June 29 (Sri Lank) at July 3 (Rizal Stadium, Manila), haharapin ng Philippine National Football team, o mas kilala sa tawag na Azkals, ang Sri Lanka para sa 2012 FIFA World Cup qualifers. [...]
just made the games more exciting.
Haha! Thanks for the mention, Roy.
of course
great find again :p hopefully i’ll always remember to mention everyone who gives information… looking forward to the game 