Keshi speaks on Matchfixing Allegations says we are footballers not gamblers

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has dismissed allegations of match-fixing following a mistake from his goalkeeper Austin Ejide against Scotland on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Daily Telegraph reported on its website that officers from the National Crime Agency were investigating attempts to fix the match at Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground.

The match went ahead despite those claims, which are under police investigation, and ended in a 2-2 draw after Uche Nwofor scored a late leveller.

However, an error from goalkeeper Ejide was the subject of contention after he spilled the ball into his own net, only to see the goal ruled out by referee Lee Probert for a foul by Grant Hanley.

Speaking after the match, Keshi, whose side face Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran at this summer’s World Cup, said: “We did [talk about it] because it’s something ridiculous, something that we don’t know where it’s coming from.

“We’re not gamblers, we are football players. I don’t even know where that is coming from, we don’t know what happened, match-fixing or no match-fixing.

“This is the first time I’ve been a coach or been a player and the first time I’m hearing this, match-fixing. I don’t think it had anything to do with our build-up or the game.”