KATHMANDU: Nepal’s suspended football team skipper Sagar Thapa reiterated that he and his teammates arrested on match-fixing charges were innocent.

"We are innocent," Thapa said, speaking briefly with the mediapersons at the Special Court premises today, "Investigation is underway and we are cooperating with police."

A police team deployed from Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) had apprehended captain Thapa, vice-captain Sandip Rai, goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa, former national defender Bikash Singh Chhetri, and former national player and former coach of Three Star Club Anjan KC from different places of the Kathmandu Valley on October 14.

Police have taken them to the Special Court for the second time seeking extension of their judicial custody.

It has been learned that police have sought extra eight days from the Court for the investigation.

The match-fixing accused footballers were presented before the Court for the first time on October 27.

The accused footballers face treason charges for match-fixing the international games that Nepal played and rigging the results in exchange of kickbacks and thereby inflicting shame of the country.

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on October 15 had suspended the tainted footballers from all football-related activities until the investigation concludes.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on October 19 had provisionally suspended the five footballers linked to match-fixing.

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