Money appears to be following the Cameroon national team this summer. Following a minor protest in which they refused to board the plane to Brazil for the World Cup due to unpaid bonuses, several players are now being accused of match-fixing during the Group Stage.
German magazine Der Spiegel was reportedly approached by a convicted match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumel, with specific details on up to seven players intentions for the three preliminary matches. Cameroon performed poorly, losing all three matches to Brazil, Mexico and Croatia by a combined score of 9-1.
Cameroon president Paul Biya has ordered an internal investigation and team representatives made the following statement regarding the allegations via the BBC:
Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroon’s 2014 FIFA World Cup three preliminary games, especially Cameroon versus Croatia, as well as the ‘existence of seven bad apples’ do not reflect the values and principles promoted by our administration, in line with FIFA’s code of conduct and ethics of our nation. We are strongly committed to employ all means necessary to resolve this disruptive matter in the shortest delays.
Apparently Wilson Raj Perumel accurately predicted one player would be sent off along with a 4-0 score against Croatia. He was spot on after midfielder Alex Song was tossed.
Photo Courtesy: AFP
