FIFA probes Nigeria 'match-fixing'

World football governing body FIFA has confirmed it is investigating an allegation made in a book that World Cup qualifying matches were rigged in favour of Nigeria's Super Eagles.According to a report on The Punch newspaper on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Ademola Olajire had spoken of FIFA's interest in the case.

The NFF said it has received correspondence from FIFA on the matter. He said FIFA are watching tapes of the matches Nigeria played throughout their qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup.

“We have forwarded the letter to our match-fixing officer Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and NFF's Integrity Officer Dr. Christian Emeruwa. All enquiries should now go to FIFA as I explained in my earlier release on the matter,  Olajire said.

A convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Raj Pemural had made sensational claims in his recently released book that he had helped Nigeria and Honduras qualify for the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

Perumal had claimed that the NFF promised him the right to organise the Eagles' pre-2010 World Cup friendlies as well as part of the money FIFA pays to help teams prepare for the tournament.

He detailed a meeting with a football official over the issue.

Perumal claimed he had promised the Mozambique FA a $100,000 bonus if they were able to hold Tunisia to a draw and so stop the Carthage Eagles leapfrogging Nigeria for automatic qualification, claims which the NFF has vehemently denied, describing them as ludicrous.

happy wheels