Cameroon who crashed out in the first round of the football world cup being held in Brazil will investigate claims that seven of their players were involved in match-fixing at the World Cup, the country's football federation Fecafoot said on Monday.
Allegations that have been described as fraud will be probed. The ethics committee has been instructed to carry out this probe, said Fecafoot. The second game of the Cameroonian football team, particularly, where they suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to the Croats has come under the scanner reportedly.
"Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroon's three 2014 World Cup games, especially Cameroon v Croatia, as well as the existence of 'seven bad apples [in our national team]' do not reflect the values and principles promoted by our administration," Fecafoot said in a statement reported The Guardian.
"We wish to inform the general public that, though not yet contacted by Fifa in regards to this affair, our administration has already instructed its Ethics Committee to further investigate these accusations," added the football body .
"We are strongly committed to employ all means necessary to resolve this disruptive matter with the shortest delay," Fecafoot's interim president, Joseph Owona, remarked.
The allegations of match-fixing were levelled by convicted fraudster Wilson Raj Perumal. Perumal had accurately made the prediction that Cameroon would suffer the result it did and the fact a player would be sent off in a discussion with German magazine Der Spiegel.
The Indomitable Lions had to battle with 10 men for the majority of the game. Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song was red-carded before half-time for a needless elbow in the back of Croatia's Mario Mandzukic near the halfway line.
Incidentally this very game had been marred by an unsavoury incident involving two Cameroon players. Near the end of the match Benoit Assou-Ekotto attempted to head-butt team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo. Cameroon's football federation thereafter launched an investigation into the incident but has yet to provide any update on possible disciplinary action.
There was no comment by Fifa on whether it was looking into the issues as football's world governing body did not want to "compromise any possible investigations".
"Speaking generally, the integrity of the game is a top priority for Fifa and as such we take any allegations of match manipulation very seriously," world football's governing body, however did add.
Cameroon's build-up to the tournament was rife with unrest as the players had refused to board the plane until a dispute over bonus payments had been settled reported the website BBC sport.The players and Fecafoot eventually agreed to a financial package, but the squad's journey to the World Cup had been delayed for almost a day.
The match-fixing allegations come after their head coach Volker Finke had been critical of the team's behavior during the Croatia game."Some players behaved very badly, and that's why we have conceded four goals," he said to French newspaper Lequipe.
