RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- A convicted match-fixer denied a report in a German magazine Tuesday that he predicted the result and details of a World Cup football match. Thiago Silva Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . Cameroons football federation said it was investigating the report in der Spiegel magazine that Wilson Raj Perumal accurately predicted in an online chat with one of its journalists that Cameroon would lose 4-0 to Croatia and would have a player sent off in the first half. And that is exactly what happened in the June 18 match. Cameroon midfielder Alex Song was sent off before halftime for striking Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic in the back. Der Spiegels claims rang alarm bells because Perumal is the best-known match-fixer in football. He was convicted of fixing matches in Finland and suspected of fixing other games in Africa and involving African teams. He also isnt averse to self-publicity, having recently published memoirs with two journalists as co-authors. Perumal denied having predicted the outcome. "The Facebook chat with the Der Spiegel journalist took place a few days after the match - June 21st, as confirmed by my Facebook log," his statement said. "At no time did I make reference to four goals being scored or to a red card being issued. 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." "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." One of the Spiegel reporters involved, Rafael Buschmann, said the magazine stood by its story. "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 Camerooon, 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 said. Earlier, Cameroons football federation had said it instructed its ethics committee to open an investigation. The federation, Fecafoot, evoked the possibility that seven players on its team may have been corrupted. "Recent allegations of fraud around Cameroons three 2014 FIFA World Cup preliminary games, especially Cameroon vs. 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," Fecafoot said in the statement. "We are strongly committed to employ all means necessary to resolve this disruptive matter," the federation said. FIFA President Sepp Blatter confirmed that a probe was underway, telling reporters: "Yes I have been told about this but let them do their work on this investigation." That game was the low point of a disastrous World Cup for Cameroon, which conceded nine goals and scored just one in its three games. The Croatia match was also marred by an argument between Cameroon teammates Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Benjamin Moukandjo that ended with Assou-Ekotto head-butting his teammate. Maxwell Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . The Wayne County prosecutors office announced Wednesday it has received a warrant request and a charging decision isnt expected this week. The prosecutors office didnt release the players name, but said the alleged assault took place March 30 at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. Marco Verratti Jersey . -- Garret Sparks made 31 saves as the Toronto Marlies beat the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-1 in American Hockey League play Tuesday.MELBOURNE, Australia - After the clock ticked past midnight, Andy Murray became aware that it was officially Australia Day and he already knew from the crowd reaction what to expect in the quarterfinals.Murray, a two-time Grand Slam champion and three-time Australian Open finalist, fended off racket-smashing Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-5 in a fourth-round match that started Sunday but continued into the early hours of Jan. 26, the national holiday that regularly occurs during the Australian Open.Midway through his match against No. 10-ranked Dimitrov, who beat him in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year, Murray heard a distinctive roar that started somewhere in the distance and echoed through Rod Laver Arena.I heard a lot of noise — I had to ask my box what it was for, he said. It was for 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios, who came back from two sets down and saved a match point to beat Andreas Seppi 5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 8-6 on Hisense Arena — the No. 3 court at Melbourne Park — to become the first Aussie male to reach the last eight at the Australian Open since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005, and the first male teenager since Roger Federer in 2001 to reach two Grand Slam quarterfinals.Kyrgios has developed quite a reputation for his audacious blend of shots, for his crowd interaction, for his outbursts and for his results: as a wild-entry with a No. 144 ranking at Wimbledon last year, he beat then No. 1-ranked Nadal in the fourth round. That was after hed saved nine match points and come from two sets down to beat Richard Gasquet in the second round.As a couple stood to leave Hisense Arena on Sunday during the fifth set — one in which Kyrgios let a 4-1 lead slip and then had to save break points — he called out to them: Hey, where are you going? The show, evidently, was not over.His first words after the win, as the crowd continued to chant and scream like soccer fans: Thanks mate. Feels so good.Its crazy, he said. When I saw I had finally won the match it was incredible — it was the best feeling I ever had. Its just massive confidence.Murray, who was broken whenn serving for the second set and lost the subsequent tiebreaker, rallied from 5-2 down in the fourth set to beat Dimitrov, who shattered his racket on the court after surrendering his last service game. Nicolas Douchez Jersey. Murray has a 10-0 winning record against Australian players, but hasnt come across anyone quite as precocious as Kyrgios.I would say maybe hes more confident than I would have been at that age ... he obviously backs himself a lot, Murray said. Im going to have to play a great match to win against him.Hes had an unbelievable tournament so far and hes only going to keep getting better. Hopefully my streak doesnt end in a couple of days.The high-energy night matches overshadowed the day session Sunday, when Nadal continued his comeback from a long-term injury layoff with a 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win over towering Kevin Anderson to set up a quarterfinal against No. 7 Tomas Berdych, who had a 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-2 win over Bernard Tomic.The chance to be in the quarterfinals after a tough period of time for me is a fantastic result, said Nadal, who didnt let a small thing like his superstitiously and carefully positioned water bottles being knocked over bother him too much. I was playing better than the days before. The way that I improved my level is not the most important thing; obviously the victory is.No.2-ranked Maria Sharapova won the last eight games of her 6-3, 6-0 victory over Peng Shuai and will next play seventh-seeded Eugenie Bouchard, who had a see-sawing 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 win over Irina-Camelia Begu. French Open finalist Simona Halep beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal against No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova, who beat Julia Goerges in straight sets.Bouchard made it to the last four at the first three Grand Slam tournaments of 2014, including a semifinal loss on debut at the Australian Open and a semifinal loss to eventual champion Sharapova at the French Open.Shes playing really well, confident tennis. So aggressive, Sharapova said of the 20-year-old Canadian. I have a tough match ahead of me, but I always look forward to that. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '
