- Title: UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Nigeria train before friendly match against Scotland
- Date: 27th May 2014
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (MAY 27, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SIGN OUTSIDE FULHAM'S CRAVEN COTTAGE STADIUM READING (English): "NIGERIA V SCOTLAND" VARIOUS OF NIGERIA PLAYERS STRETCHING ON PITCH AT CRAVEN COTTAGE CHELSEA MIDFIELDER JOHN OBI MIKEL STRETCHING NIGERIA GOALKEEPERS, INCLUDING LILLE OSC'S VINCENT ENYEAMA, STRETCHING NIGERIA PLAYERS, LED BY FORMER NEWCASTLE STRIKER SHOLA AMEOBI, RUNNING GOALKEEPERS TRAINING DEFENDER JOSEPH YOBO STRETCHING NIGERIAN COACH LOOKING AT TRAINING MIKEL RUNNING WITH BALL CHELSEA FORWARD VICTOR MOSES RUNNING WITH BALL PLAYERS RUNNING WITH BALL STOKE CITY STRIKER PETER ODEMWINGIE RUNNING WITH BALL PLAYERS JUGGLING WITH BALLS
- Embargoed: 11th June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVABZ94SR4TZON7FVVTLSWUUW6JH
- Story Text: The Nigerian soccer team train in London ahead of friendly match against Scotland, as match-fixing rumors related to the game begin to circle.
The Nigerian national soccer team trained at Fulham's Craven Cottage stadium on Tuesday (May 27) ahead of a friendly match against Scotland, after the Scottish FA were contacted regarding possible match-fixing in the upcoming match.
Britain's National Crime Agency has contacted the Scottish FA (SFA) about a possible plot to fix Wednesday's (May 28) international friendly between Scotland and Nigeria in London, an SFA spokesman said in statement.
"We are liaising with the relevant authorities and preparing for the match as normal," the spokesman added on Tuesday, confirming that officers had been in touch with the SFA regarding a match-fixing threat.
The SFA added that there was no specific intelligence, however, and the National Crime Agency, which specialises in investigating organised crime, had no comment.
The match is a World Cup warm-up for Nigeria before they head off to the finals in Brazil which kicks off on June 12.
Leading bookmakers are routinely on alert for unusual betting patterns but were not aware of any specific threat.
The alert came on the day Europe's anti-crime agency Europol signed an agreement with governing body UEFA to deal with match-fixing in European soccer.
However, the organisation's director Rob Wainwright said the issue was not a major problem in Europe.
Nigeria, who also have warm-up matches scheduled against Greece and the United States next month, start their World Cup campaign against Iran in Curitiba on June 16. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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