YAOUNDE: Cameroon football chiefs said they are determined to root out the seven players they termed as ‘bad apples’ implicated in an alleged matchfixing scandal over their World Cup group game with Croatia.
“Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroon’s 2014 Fifa World Cup three preliminary games, especially Cameroon versus Croatia, as well of the ‘existence of seven bad apples [in our national team]’ do not reflect the values and principles promoted by our administration, in line with Fifa’s code of conduct and the ethics of our nation,” the Cameroon federation (FECAFOOT) said in a statement on its website.
“We are strongly committed to employ all means necessary to resolve this disruptive matter in the shortest delays.”
FECAFOOT added that in 55 years they had never before been punished for “match-fixing or any fraud of any kind.”
The launching of the investigation by the Ethics Committee followed a report in Germany in which a Singaporean match-fixer correctly forecast that Croatia would win 4-0 and that a player would be sent off in the first-half.
Barcelona star Alex Song was dismissed for a bizarre elbow assault to the back of Mario Mandzukic in the 40th minute.
Later in the match, left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto aimed a headbutt at team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo leading the ‘Indomitable Lions’ veteran German coach Volker Finke to label their behaviour as unacceptable. Meanwhile, FIFA remained silent yesterday regarding allegations that Cameroon players played a part in fixing the results of their World Cup group matches.
FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer would not confirm or deny that soccer’s world ruling body was investigating the claims, adding that even if it was, it would not reveal that information.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter, met by reporters at his hotel in Rio, said: “Yes I have been told about this but let them do their work on this investigation.”
Fischer reiterated that FIFA would not be commenting at this stage in line with its usual policy.
“As we have said consistently - prior to the FIFA World Cup and now during it - we do not provide any comments as to whether or not an investigation is underway with regard to any alleged manipulation in any match, amongst others so as not to compromise any possible investigations,” she said.
The International Center for Sport Security (ICSS), which works closely with FIFA and police on match-fixing and related security issues, said there were no suspicious betting patterns. “The advice we have received from the legal or so-called ‘regulated’ sport betting industry is that there was no observable suspicious betting on this match,” the ICSS said.
However, Chris Eaton, the ICSS director of sport integrity, said that his organisation was still taking the allegations very seriously.
“The ICSS is aware of the allegation first reported by Der Spiegel that Wilson Raj Perumal, a well-known and convicted match-fixer, apparently accurately predicted the outcome of a specific match result and foul outcome for a game at the FIFA World Cup, using a Facebook account,” Eaton said.
“If it is confirmed that the advice from Perumal was made before the match and is accurate to the overall result and red card, then this allegation will no doubt be treated extremely seriously by football, governments and beyond.”
Eaton said it was his understanding that Perumal had made other predictions during the tournament which had not proved accurate.
“The Cameroon match-fixing case is a grave allegation with an alleged and strong indication of pre-match knowledge from a well-known match-fixer,” he said.
“Therefore, in my view, this case should command a swift, strong and, most importantly, an international and co-ordinated investigation to clear the air in the interest of football and all concerned.” Fischer, meanwhile, quoted FIFA articles 88 and 36 to justify the ruling body’s silence on the matter. AGENCIES
