Tue Sep 10 16:22:58 UTC 2024: ## China Bans 43 Individuals for Life in Crackdown on Football Corruption

**Dalian, China** – The Chinese Football Association has imposed lifetime bans on 43 individuals, including prominent players and officials, following a two-year investigation into widespread match-fixing, bribery, and online gambling.

The crackdown, announced on Tuesday, Sept. 10, targeted 120 matches across domestic leagues and implicated 41 clubs. A total of 128 criminal suspects were identified during the investigation.

Among those banned for life are former Chinese internationals Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, and Gu Chao. Other players and officials received shorter bans, including foreign players attracted to China by high salaries. South Korean Son Jun-ho (Shandong Taishan FC) and Cameroonian Ewolo Donovan (Heilongjiang Ice City) were each given five-year bans.

The Chinese Football Association declared Son’s actions “seriously violated sports ethics and sportsmanship, causing a significant negative impact on society.”

The move comes as China strives to fulfill President Xi Jinping’s ambition of becoming a football superpower. However, the men’s team has struggled to make significant progress, facing a humiliating 7-0 loss to Japan last week in the Asian qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup.

While China still has a chance to qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament, their recent performance suggests a challenging path ahead. China’s last World Cup appearance was in 2002, where they lost all three group matches.

Currently, China ranks 87th in the FIFA world rankings, placing them below Curaçao and just above Equatorial Guinea.

The crackdown on corruption is seen as a vital step in addressing the systemic issues plaguing Chinese football and fostering a more ethical and competitive environment.

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