The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Thursday dismissed the appeals lodged by four Nepali footballers and official Anjan KC against their lifetime bans for match-fixing offences.

The AFC banned former national team skipper Sagar Thapa, Sandeep Rai, Bikash Singh Chhetri, goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa along with KC—also a former footballer—in December for their involvement in fixing the international matches that Nepal played from 2008-2012.

The AFC Appeal Committee meeting of Thursday confirmed the ruling by the AFC Disciplinary Committee on December 5 which claimed it found the five guilty of violating article 62 and 69 of the AFC Disciplinary Code. Nepal Police had arrested the five footballers on October 14 following a year-long investigation in coordination with AFC and its partner Sportsradar which monitors suspicious international matches across the globe.

Nepal Police had filed subversion charges against all five before the Special Court granted them bail on November 10. Police had claimed that Thapa and KC, who once coached current National League Champions Three Star, were the main players of the fixing scam. The Office of Attorney General had registered a case with the Special Court seeking for life-imprisonment against the accused players under the Crime against State and Punishment Act, 1989.

Apart from the five players arrested, a physiotherapist, Dejiv Thapa, was also charged with treason in absentia. Thapa, who is currently in the United States of America, is accused of receiving at least $1,000 from Malaysian footballer and suspected match-fixer Kesavan Pattan.