FIFA World Cup 2014: No proof of fixing after Cameroon claims, says FIFA

Rio de Janeiro: Fifa said on Wednesday that it had received no evidence of corruption involving Cameroon as the World Cup took a breather from football ahead of the quarter-finals.

A spokeswoman for the governing body said Fifa had requested all details of communications between Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine and notorious Singapore match-fixer Wilson Perumal.

Perumal on Tuesday denied he had predicted the result of Cameroon’s 4-0 defeat to Croatia last month, which is now the subject of an investigation by Cameroon’s Football Federation.

“We have requested from Der Spiegel all the communications with Perumal and any other material they claim to possess in order to prove the allegations they have made in public,” Fifa spokeswoman Delia Fischer told reporters.

“The article has put the integrity of the Fifa World Cup in question which is a serious allegation.”
Fischer reiterated that so far none of the 56 matches played at the World Cup had given cause for concern.

“As mentioned on various occasions, Fifa has carefully monitored all 56 games to date and continue to monitor,” she said.

“So far we have found no indication of any match manipulation on the betting market in relation to any of the World Cup matches.”

The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) said its ethics committee was looking into Perumal’s allegations, reported by Der Spiegel, that he forecast the 4-0 victory by Croatia and that a player would be sent off.

But Perumal issued a strong denial on Tuesday, saying he was “shocked and amazed” at the report of his actions, insisting he had only given an “informal assessment” of the Cameroon-Croatia game with a journalist.