Malta FA integrity officer Franz Tabone has been speaking to club officials as part of an information-gathering exercise in relation to the FA Trophy fourth round match between Sirens and Gudja.

Division Two side Sirens caused a sensation last Wednesday after hammering Division One promotion chasers Gudja United 6-0 to advance to the quarter-finals where they will meet Qormi.

Although cup competitions are renowned for throwing up surprising results, the margin of Sirens' victory was inevitably greeted with incredulity in many quarters, triggering suspicions that the match may have been targeted for betting purposes.

Sources have told Times of Malta that the Malta FA have not opened a formal investigation into the Sirens-Gudja match but Tabone has been sounding out people close to both clubs as part of a follow-up into the game.

It is understood that Wednesday's encounter has not been earmarked for irregular betting patterns but the MFA still deemed it appropriate to seek clarifications from both clubs.

Tabone and Bjorn Vassallo, the MFA general secretary, are at the heart of a robust campaign aimed at persuading the authorities to step up the fight against match-fixing and illegal betting in sport.

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