URGENT: US PPI declines by 0.2% in May    Egypt secures $130m in non-refundable USAID grants    HSBC named Egypt's Best Bank for Diversity, Inclusion by Euromoney    Singapore offers refiners carbon tax rebates for '24, '25    Egypt's CBE offers EGP 4b zero coupon t-bonds    G7 agrees on $50b Ukraine loan from frozen Russian assets    EU dairy faces China tariff threat    Over 12,000 Egyptian pilgrims receive medical care during Hajj: Health Ministry    Egypt's rise as global logistics hub takes centre stage at New Development Bank Seminar    Blinken addresses Hamas ceasefire counterproposal, future governance plans for Gaza    MSMEDA, EABA sign MoU to offer new marketing opportunities for Egyptian SMEs in Africa    Egypt's President Al-Sisi, Equatorial Guinea's Vice President discuss bilateral cooperation, regional Issues    Egypt's Higher Education Minister pledges deeper cooperation with BRICS at Kazan Summit    Gaza death toll rises to 37,164, injuries hit 84,832 amid ongoing Israeli attacks    Egypt's Water Research, Space Agencies join forces to tackle water challenges    BRICS Skate Cup: Skateboarders from Egypt, 22 nations gather in Russia    Pharaohs Edge Out Burkina Faso in World Cup qualifiers Thriller    Egypt's EDA, Zambia sign collaboration pact    Madinaty Sports Club hosts successful 4th Qadya MMA Championship    Amwal Al Ghad Awards 2024 announces Entrepreneurs of the Year    Egyptian President asks Madbouly to form new government, outlines priorities    Egypt's President assigns Madbouly to form new government    Egypt and Tanzania discuss water cooperation    Grand Egyptian Museum opening: Madbouly reviews final preparations    Madinaty's inaugural Skydiving event boosts sports tourism appeal    Tunisia's President Saied reshuffles cabinet amidst political tension    Instagram Celebrates African Women in 'Made by Africa, Loved by the World' 2024 Campaign    Egypt to build 58 hospitals by '25    Swiss freeze on Russian assets dwindles to $6.36b in '23    Egyptian public, private sectors off on Apr 25 marking Sinai Liberation    Debt swaps could unlock $100b for climate action    Financial literacy becomes extremely important – EGX official    Euro area annual inflation up to 2.9% – Eurostat    BYD، Brazil's Sigma Lithium JV likely    UNESCO celebrates World Arabic Language Day    Motaz Azaiza mural in Manchester tribute to Palestinian journalists    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



FIFA: 2014 World Cup qualifying is clean of fixing
The 820 preliminary matches of the prestigious tournament qualifications end in November
Published in Ahram Online on 06 - 04 - 2013

FIFA's top investigator believes the 2014 World Cup qualifying program has been clean of match-fixing after more than 500 matches.
''Up to now we don't have any leads that any match has been thrown,'' FIFA security director Ralf Mutschke told The Associated Press on Friday. ''We are also confident that nothing will happen through the qualification.''
The full program of about 820 preliminary matches ends in November.
Hours before Mutschke spoke at a FIFA-sponsored conference on match-fixing and betting, football's governing body reached agreement with South African officials on how to complete an investigation into the 2010 World Cup host's allegedly manipulated warm-up matches before the tournament.
South Africa's government will set up an independent commission to examine how Wilson Raj Perumal, since convicted, apparently hired referees to fix match results. The case could implicate national soccer federation president Kirsten Nematandani, who attended the meeting at FIFA headquarters.
Two months ago, Europol, the European Union police liaison agency, said it reviewed 680 suspicious recent cases of fixing, including some World Cup games.
''This is stuff from the past,'' Mutschke said. ''I understand they were old qualifiers and not for this tournament.''
In the only recent prosecuted case of World Cup match-fixing, UEFA banned a Bosnian referee for life. The ref colluded with a Croatian-led syndicate for a betting scam tied to his handling of a qualifier between Liechtenstein and Finland in September 2009.
Mutschke, a German former Interpol officer, suggested that clubs being infiltrated by mafia figures were at more risk than FIFA's signature event.
''The infiltration of organized crime on a club level is more than I expected a year ago, even in Europe,'' he said. ''They are basically offering, like a sponsor or investor, to help out with financial problems, offering to pay salaries for the players because of match-fixing.''
South Africa sports minister Fikile Mbalula and his government agreed to lead a match-fixing probe that has stalled and resulted in Nematandani being suspended from office and then reinstated within weeks. FIFA and the South Africa Football Association haven't identified which matches might have been fixed. But a 5-0 win over Guatemala and 2-1 win over Colombia in May 2010 have long been under suspicion. Three penalties were awarded in each match, most for hand balls.
The ''long-standing case'' was harming South African soccer, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said.
''It is vital that this matter, which dates back to 2010, is concluded soon, with the culprits to be sanctioned in accordance with the zero tolerance policy,'' Valcke said.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter and anti-corruption adviser Mark Pieth addressed delegates at a conference that also studied ethical management in sports.
Blatter confirmed that the issue of stripping his 97-year-old predecessor Joao Havelange of the honorary FIFA presidency following a kickbacks scandal could be discussed at next month's congress of 209 football nations in Mauritius.
Blatter said last July that his predecessor ''cannot remain honorary president'' after a Swiss prosecutor's report was published confirming that Havelange received millions of dollars from World Cup broadcasting deals in the 1990s.
''There has not been any proposals (to strip Havelange's title), but it's on the agenda,'' Blatter said.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO Sportsand on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)


Clic here to read the story from its source.