The World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. So, you would never expect that anyone would actually attempt to fix a match while the whole world is watching – but it seems that some players were just that bold. The media is all abuzz with news that several players on the Cameroon squad are being investigated for their potential involvement in a match-fixing scheme.
According to reports in the Germany’s Der Spiegel, Wilson Raj Perumal predicted that Cameroon would lose to Croatia in a 4 – 0 match, and that one player would be sent off during the first half. This sounds like an unlikely bet to win – but punters do get lucky sometimes. However, the Perumal is a convicted match-fixer, so FIFA is concerned that the result of the match was manipulated.
The punter has made a statement to defend himself and disprove the conspiracy theories: "Contrary to the 'revelations' published by the German weekly Der Spiegel that were picked up by news outlets worldwide, I did not predict the result of the Cameroon vs Croatia match. [It] was but an informal assessment of the behaviour of the Cameroon team at the Brazil 2014 World Cup after they had played two of their three group stage matches, including the one with Croatia. At no time did I make reference to four goals being scored or to a red card being issued."
Still, Der Spiegel is sticking to its guns, and FIFA is not convinced that there was no wrongdoing. The regulatory body has a launch an investigation into the issue. There are rumours that there are seven ‘bad apples’ on Cameroon’s squad. Their names were not revealed, but the players in question will face serious repercussions if they are discovered to have been involved in match-fixing in any way.
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