NFF denies fixing 2010 World Cup qualifiers

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed as ‘totally fallacious’, the claim by a self-confessed and convicted Singaporean match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal, that he helped Nigeria qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa.

In a statement in Abuja, the NFF declared that the entire claim by Perumal was nothing more than ‘distinct fiction’ and insisted that the true heroes of Nigeria’s qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals were the federal government, the NFF, players and coaches of the Super Eagles and the generality of Nigerian football fans.
“We have gone through the false claim by the Singaporean, who was fittingly convicted for his nefarious activities and has spent time in jail. The NFF will only say at this moment that there was no truth to the claim and that we had nothing to do with Perumal all through the Super Eagles’ qualifying series for 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“Perumal’s statements are a hogwash and have no legs to stand on. We have ordered for the book itself with a view to digesting it and looking critically at it. If the book impugns on the image of the NFF, our players and the larger image of our dear country, we will take appropriate action,” NFF general secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu, said on yesterday.
Amadu said that further enquiries should be directed to world’s football -governing body, FIFA, since the match was a FIFA qualifier competition.

Furthermore, NFF’s integrity officer, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, stated that alongside the NFF match-fixing investigative officer, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, he was in communication with FIFA Security on match-fixing matters and they would dig deeper into the claim.
Nigeria overpowered Tunisia, Kenya and Mozambique in the final rounds of the qualification series to reach the first FIFA World Cup Finals to be staged on African soil, in 2010.