Cameroon player being investigated for match fixing a world cup game

[Guest]

Seven of them apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28102841

Fifa are pissed that some-one that was not them manipulated the result of a competition.

[Rob1981]

Well they're not being investigated by FIFA, a few players are being investigated by their own FA. I don't buy this at all. The 4-0 against Croatia was played when they still had a chance of getting through.

[grff]

Almost sounds as though they are trying to justify being ****

[Paul Bacon]

Match fixing my not be throwing a game though. Could be paid to get book, give a free kick away or whatever at a certain point in the game

Bet that happens quite abit too in leagues with poorly paid players

[Rob1981]

The player sent off was Alex Song though, probably the highest paid player in the squad.

[RubenJ]

Yeah Alex Song would be insane to get a red card like that by smacking down a player, just for a bit of cash.

[chopra_hill]

Ned, the pro gambler (maybe ex pro gambler) on 2 said he thought brazil v cameroon was fixed a few weeks back before it was played

[McMaster#28]

I was reading about Der Spiegel being told the final score + red card just after the game finished, but most seemed to think it was a made up story to get Der Speigel publicity.

As RubenJ says, it seems strange that one of the best paid players on the field that night would be the one to accept cash .

[gillsminnow]

Not surprising if it was fixed, they were complaining about their match fees ffs.

[buffalo]

Ghana also complaining about the cash before, maybe also match fixing?

and Nigeria, well, that goalie looked dodgy vs Argentina (Messi free kick) and now against France as well

[Razzler]

Yeah Alex Song would be insane to get a red card like that by smacking down a player, just for a bit of cash.

You can never have too much cash

[gillsminnow]

You can never have too much cash

[video=youtube_share;gMrboIf5p4k]

Ultimate

[Weezer]

Hard to say this without sounding racist, but why is it (nearly) always the African nations that get caught up in this? Match fixing, and every World Cup there's always one African nation arguing over money.

As for Song, whilst you wouldn't think he needed the money, if he was trying to get sent off that was certainly one of the most blatant ways to do it!

[RubenJ]

Football is a complete shambles in west Africa. Corruption, complete lack of management etc. It's only natural players kick up a fuss over their fees, they know that if they don't it'll end up in the pockets of a couple of suits.

It's not an African thing, it's a thing in poor countries.

[mlyons]

Ghana also complaining about the cash before, maybe also match fixing?

and Nigeria, well, that goalie looked dodgy vs Argentina (Messi free kick) and now against France as well

Enyeama made one glaring mistake and three or four great saves against France. Same against Argentina. There's a huge difference between being inconsistent and "dodgy".

[buffalo]

well exactly, did great and then ****ed up like that, clumsy for his standards

obviously all actions scrutinised can look suspicious I know that but my gut tells me there was something weird about the Messi free kick for example

[PaulHartman71]

wasn't it the head of the Ghana FA that was filmed agreeing to take cash bribes for future friendlies?

[av3ry]

Was it on here where someone said that they wont be surprised if Cameroon players were match-fixing for being so awful, think it was after the Croatia game?

[themadsheep2001]

well exactly, did great and then ****ed up like that, clumsy for his standards

obviously all actions scrutinised can look suspicious I know that but my gut tells me there was something weird about the Messi free kick for example

Apart from it being a stunning free kick that he was never getting near?

[themadsheep2001]

Ghana also complaining about the cash before, maybe also match fixing?

and Nigeria, well, that goalie looked dodgy vs Argentina (Messi free kick) and now against France as well

Umm, no. Ghana FA frequently fails to pay the money. The Euro based players are ok, but it severely hurts those based in Africa. The ones who are well off frequently pay for the logistics of the others. But at no point does it suddenly mean match fixing. As fro the goal keeping, should we now accuse of Akinfeev of match fixing?

[mlyons]

well exactly, did great and then ****ed up like that, clumsy for his standards

obviously all actions scrutinised can look suspicious I know that but my gut tells me there was something weird about the Messi free kick for example

That's a ridiculously stupid way to fix a match, though. If you're really intent on letting one goal through, why not let one of the great chances that you're not expected to save go in?

[Razzler]

Was it on here where someone said that they wont be surprised if Cameroon players were match-fixing for being so awful, think it was after the Croatia game?

Let's not forget the pre-tournament Nigerian keeper throws ball into own net thing

[Razzler]

wasn't it the head of the Ghana FA that was filmed agreeing to take cash bribes for future friendlies?

Don't forget that whole Togo thing where they played Bahrain in some unofficial, not properly organised friendly that FIFA had no clue about or something

[SpillBlood]

Which keeper was it that basically threw the ball that he should of easily caught to Ronaldos feet ? If that was accused I'd understand .

[ReggaeBwoy]

Akinfeev should be investigated for match fixing for his errors first game.

[Robokid87]

Football is a complete shambles in west Africa. Corruption, complete lack of management etc. It's only natural players kick up a fuss over their fees, they know that if they don't it'll end up in the pockets of a couple of suits.

It's not an African thing, it's a thing in poor countries.

This is spot on, saw some utter bollocks the other day about how Greek players giving up their match fees to improve facilities put the 'African mercenaries' to shame. Much easier to give away money you know you're going to get.

[VamPook]

Asian mafia lads, Asian mafia

[RubenJ]

This is spot on, saw some utter bollocks the other day about how Greek players giving up their match fees to improve facilities put the 'African mercenaries' to shame. Much easier to give away money you know you're going to get.

And if Cameroon players for example would give up their fees so the FA can build a youth centre with it, you can pretty much guarantee that the money will disappear. It's really harsh to blame the players for insisting on guarantees over their world cup bonuses, when the entire FA is so corrupt.

Of course selling a match is an entirely different matter that is not acceptable in any circumstance. Nigeria are the least suspect to me though, only the ref kept them from knocking out France.

[Razzler]

These FAs are corrupt but the bonus thing always seems to come out just ahead of the actual tournament and the football

Maybe they need to draw attention to this bonus thing during non-tournament times as well. The players don't appear too concerned about these things except when the big money is on the table. I don't see any high profile questioning of the FA during quals or friendly dates. Things to draw attention to corruption and fairness.

It becomes all about 'what am I getting' or 'I want to physically see the money flown here' ... do they have these issues during ANC? Or is the money not high enough to be outraged by the FAs then?

It also never seems as though they are particularly pushing for the corruption to end (probably can't stop it) but the focus is just on making sure they get what they are due when every tournament comes around and then continuing the status quo. It's easier for players to have the FA over a barrel when they're at a tournament than addressing it at any other time

Maybe it takes some big players to not play quals until things are addressed and make the FA react but then they wouldn't get to tournaments and have that chance to get their money, which always seems to be the most important thing

[RubenJ]

Or they do, but now it's just big news because it's the world cup?

If some players complained about bonuses during qualfiers, do you really think you'd be reading about it?

[Razzler]

I'd be reading about it if they refused to play the qualifiers, yes

World Cup is obviously the biggest stage to make the biggest noise but the players in question never really come out of it looking good. It always comes across as though they're scrambling for their cut of the cash rather than rallying against 'corruption'. Once they got their cut then it's 'as you were' with the FA and whatever they normally do

These big names players could be requesting FIFA intervene instead to get this issue addressed

We'll be seeing this again in the next world cup though as we saw in the last so do these protests stop anything? No. They just make sure they get their money so something needs to change imo