UK law enforcement officials contact Scottish FA over 'fixing threat' in Nigeria friendly

UK law enforcement officials have reportedly contacted the Scottish Football Association (SFA) regarding a match-fixing threat surrounding a friendly match against Nigeria on Wednesday.

However, leading bookmakers deny knowledge of any specific threat to the game, although the SFA has released a statement saying it is liaising with the relevant authorities and is preparing for the match as normal.

According to the BBC, a spokesperson for one bookmaker however, said that they are exercising extra vigilance for any suspicious betting patterns, although he added that such activity would be executed in the illegal betting market, and is unlikely to be seen in the UK or European regulated sector.

The report mentioned that no Scotland players are under suspicion, adding that a number of other friendly matches on that day have been highlighted as games potentially at risk.

A National Crime Agency (NCA) spokesperson said that the organisation would from time to time provide operational detail necessary for public reassurance purposes, adding that it does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of specific operations or provide ongoing commentary on operational activity.