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Match-fixer denies predicting World Cup result

By WTOP Staff

GERALD IMRAY
AP Sports Writers

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A convicted match-fixer denied a report in a German magazine Tuesday that he predicted the result and details of a World Cup game.

Cameroon’s football federation said it was investigating the match-fixer’s allegations of corruption involving its World Cup squad and that seven of its players could have been bought.

Der Spiegel magazine claimed that Wilson Raj Perumal — the best-known match-fixer in football– accurately predicted hours before the game in an online chat with one of its journalists that Cameroon would lose 4-0 to Croatia and have a player sent off in the first half.

And that is what happened in the June 18 match. Cameroon’s Barcelona midfielder Alex Song was red-carded before halftime for elbowing Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic in the back and Cameroon was beaten 4-0.

Der Spiegel’s claims rang alarm bells because Perumal was convicted of fixing matches in Finland and suspected of fixing other games in Africa and involving African teams. He isn’t averse to self-publicity, having recently published memoirs with two journalists as co-authors.

But in a statement, Perumal denied having predicted the outcome. He said a Facebook conversation about Cameroon with the Der Spiegel journalist happened three days after the game, not hours before as the reporter claimed.

“At no time did I make reference to four goals being scored or to a red card being issued,” Perumal said in his statement sent by the authors of his biography.

“I am shocked and amazed that a respected magazine such as Der Spiegel would go so far as to fabricate statements by yours truly with the visible aim of stirring the row over match-fixing,” he said. “I apologize to the Cameroon FA and to its fans if I inadvertently offended them; it was not my intention. I strongly believe that Der Spiegel should also do the same since they placed words in my mouth that I did not utter.”

The Associated Press saw alleged copies of a Facebook conversation where Perumal and the reporter chatted about Cameroon. But the exchanges were dated June 21, three days after the game.

Cameroon “is on the take i think,” Perumal claimed in the chat with Der Spiegel reporter Rafael Buschmann.

“They have i guess seven rotten apples in the team,” he added.

But in his statement Tuesday, Perumal said he had no proof for those claims.

“At no time did I suggest that I had any way of corroborating or substantiating what was meant to be an educated guess based on my extensive match-fixing experience. Last but not least: at no time was I informed by the Der Spiegel journalist that our chat was going to end up in the German publication.”

Buschmann stood by his story but did not immediately respond to AP requests to also share copies of his exchanges with Perumal.

“We firmly stand by our assertion that Mr Perumal wrote in a Facebook chat with der Spiegel some hours before the world cup match Croatia vs Cameroon, that the result of the match will be a 4-0-victory for Croatia and that a player of Cameroon will get a red card in the first halftime,” Buschmann wrote by email to the AP.

Earlier, Cameroon’s football federation said it instructed its ethics committee to open an investigation.

“We are strongly committed to employ all means necessary to resolve this disruptive matter,” Fecafoot said.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter also confirmed a probe was underway, telling reporters: “Yes I have been told about this but let them do their work on this investigation.”

The Croatia game was the low point of a disastrous World Cup for Cameroon. It conceded nine goals and scored just one in its three games and its whole campaign was overshadowed by a threatened strike by players over World Cup payments.

The match was also marred by an argument between teammates Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo that ended with Assou-Ekotto head-butting Moukandjo.

Cameroon’s heavy defeat to Croatia wasn’t a major surprise. It came into this World Cup having previously lost nearly half of its games in six previous participations in the showcase tournament. Its record was played 20, lost 9, drew 7 and won just 4. It also wasn’t Cameroon’s worst World Cup defeat: It lost 6-1 to Russia at the 1994 tournament in the United States and suffered another 4-0 loss to the then Soviet Union in 1990.

___

AP Sports Writers Ciaran Fahey in Berlin and Graham Dunbar in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this story.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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