Cameroon FA brands 'seven bad apples' amid match-fixing probe
THE spectre of match-fixing has hit Brazil's fabulous World Cup after claims that seven members of the Cameroon team have been involved in rigging games.
A convicted Singaporean betting fraudster is said to have correctly predicted to a German magazine that Cameroon would lose 4-0 to Croatia here - and have a player sent off in the first half.
This is exactly what happened, with Barcelona's former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song dismissed for elbowing Mario Mandzukic before half-time.
Cameroon lost all three of their group matches in Brazil and there was also an incident in which Benoit Assou-Ekotto of Spurs appeared to make an attempt to head-butt team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo.
The con-man, Wilson Raj Perumal, made his allegations to Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine and made a comment about there being "seven bad apples," in the squad.
In a statement, the Cameroon FA said: "Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroon's three 2014 FIFA World Cup preliminary 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 in line with the FIFA Code of Conduct and the ethics of our nation."