Ghana coach Claude Le Roy has likened football to a 'temple' that should be kept sacrosanct from unscrupulous characters.

The Frenchman was reacting to the news that broke out that a betting syndicate had contacted Benin coach,Reinhard Fabisch,to determine the score line of a match at the on-going Nations Cup in Ghana.

Fabisch claims he was asked if he could help determine the results of the Squirrels' first Group B game against Mali on Monday.

''When you let more merchants come into the temple, there is a big danger for the temple and football is the most beautiful temple that we can imagine in every country and we have to fight against all these merchants,'' Le Roy told the media.

Le Roy, one of the most travelled coaches at the Nations Cup, shared his experience with the press on Friday.

''I faced this problem once with some players when I was national coach in Malaysia. The minister was convinced and he put 150 players in jail. Myself I was never approached by anybody,'' the Frenchman added.

''I hope that Reinhard Fabisch, if he is right to report because they kill the football, these people.

''That's why we have to be careful with them. That's why I was since the beginning against the betting on football.

'' I don't understand why the people in charge of football all over the world let the betting companies come involve in football because I think it's a big danger to destroy our sports.''