Published on: May 11, 2026, 09:10h.
Updated on: May 11, 2026, 09:11h.
- Former soccer players found guilty in significant Hong Kong match-fixing scandal
- Illegal betting network affected over 30 matches in Hong Kong football
- Players received substantial sums to intentionally lose league contests
Two ex-professional football players and a betting operator have been convicted for their involvement in a match-fixing scheme that manipulated numerous games within Hong Kong’s premier leagues.
Brian Fok, a former Nigerian Hong Kong Under-23 center-back, Brazilian defender Luciano Silva da Silva, and betting agent Waheed Mohammad were found guilty on Friday in West Kowloon Court of two counts of conspiracy to defraud in gambling.
Fok, who had played for Hong Kong FC and later Happy Valley, faced additional charges of offering an advantage to an agent, which violates the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
Bribery of Players
During preceding court sessions, it was revealed that Fok approached his teammates while with Hong Kong FC in 2021, offering Jean Maciel and Marcus McMillan sums between HK$10,000 and HK$30,000 to intentionally lose their Premier League games. Both athletes declined the offers and testified against him.
Magistrate Peter Yu Chun-cheung accepted their statements, dismissing Fok’s allegations that the claims were fabricated. The court also learned of Fok’s attempts to convince Maciel not to participate in a match after discovering he was selected, believing the team would perform better without him.
The authorities indicated that the scheme expanded further during the 2022-23 first division season after Fok transferred to Happy Valley. Prosecutors asserted he colluded with da Silva, who played for Central & Western at the time, and Mohammad to alter the outcomes of matches involving both teams.
Officials from Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) stated that illegal bets totaling tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars were placed on more than 30 manipulated games.
The ICAC reported that the operation was heavily reliant on live betting, with Fok signaling to accomplices in the stands to facilitate real-time wagers during the matches.
Request for Leniency
In court, Fok’s attorney stated that his client’s football career had been ruined by this case and that he had transitioned into unrelated business activities, according to The South China Morning Post. His lawyer requested a community service sentence, but Magistrate Yu suggested that a direct prison term was inevitable.
Compared to their European counterparts, soccer players in Hong Kong typically earn lower salaries, increasing susceptibility to corruption. Betting on soccer, alongside horse racing and lotteries, represents one of the few legal gambling avenues in the region.