November 28 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has wrapped up its 2025 Integrity Education Programme, reaffirming its determination to stay ahead of the threats facing the game across the continent.
What began in March as a series of online workshops culminated this week in a two-day gathering at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, where integrity officers from national associations met to tie together months of learning.
The initiative, run in partnership with Sportradar, has become one of the AFC’s central pillars in its fight to protect competitions from manipulation, corruption and the fast-evolving risks that shadow the modern game.
The virtual modules built the foundations: sessions on match-fixing, betting-related corruption, the misuse of insider information and the growing landscape of digital vulnerabilities. Participants were also drilled on the basic investigative and preventative tools now expected of integrity staff, many of whom operate with limited resources at domestic level.
The on-site element shifted the focus from learning to delivery. Officers were trained not only in the content of integrity education but in how to teach it – how to present, persuade and embed the message inside their own federations. Ensuring consistency across such a vast and diverse region remains one of the AFC’s biggest challenges, but the two days in Kuala Lumpur were designed to create a common baseline.
With match manipulation tactics mutating as fast as the technologies that enable them, this network of specialists are the confederation’s first line of defence who can spread the message at home – and, crucially, spot the danger early.
AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs Andrew Mercer said: “The AFC Integrity Education Programme is especially relevant as we owe it to our teams, who continue to excel on the world stage, to hone our skills and equip ourselves with the necessary expertise to protect them as well as our competitions.
“It is the responsibility of Integrity Officers to uphold the fundamental values that guide fair play and good governance in their respective environments and to become leaders who, in the long run, elevate not only their own systems but the overall football landscape in Asia.”
Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President, Integrity Services, Sportradar said: “Integrity is not only about reacting to challenges, but about anticipating them. The AFC’s Integrity Education Programme sets a benchmark for global sport, and this programme empowers local leaders to drive meaningful change through education.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at [email protected]
