CNN —The Chinese Football Association has banned for life 38 soccer players and five club officials after a two-year investigation into match-fixing and gambling, as part of a crackdown on corruption in one of China’s most popular sports. Power Sport Images/Getty Images/FileJin Jingdao during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Australia and China on September 2, 2021 in Doha, Qatar. CFA President Song Kai said 43 of the 44 had been banned for life from football-related activities, and 17 others received five-year bans. The findings were announced ahead of a World Cup qualifier in Dalian later on Tuesday where Team China will host Saudi Arabia after last week’s 7-0 loss away to Japan. A former chairman of the CFA was sentenced to life in prison in March.

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Persons: Zhang Xiaopeng, Jin Jingdao, Guo Tianyu, Gu Chao, Son, Mohamed Farag, Zhang, Song Kai Organizations: CNN, Chinese Football Association, Ministry of Public Security, Xinhua News Agency, Administration of Sport, CFA, Visual China, Getty, FC, AFC, China, men’s Locations: Dalian, China, South, Administration of Sport of China, South Korea, Hungary, Australia, Doha, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Japan