Scotland's World Cup qualifying group "could be flung into chaos after allegations of match fixing in one of the recent games," according to the Scotland DAILY RECORD. Lithuania's 2-0 win over Malta on Oct. 13 "is reportedly being investigated by FIFA following suspicious betting patterns." Malta goalkeeper Andrew Hogg claimed a FIFA official "stormed the team's dressing room" ahead of kickoff to "warn of a potential fix after suspicious betting patterns were noticed." An inquiry "is now underway with results potentially set to be voided and games replayed." A FIFA official had "also reportedly visited the Lithuanian dressing room and the referee before the match." Reports claim that betting syndicates "had staked millions before kick-off and during the game on Malta to lose by two goals or more" (DAILY RECORD, 10/30). The London TELEGRAPH reported Hogg said that the Malta team was "warned beforehand that an unusually large number of bets had been placed on the game." Hogg: "It was strange and felt very uncomfortable as if we were being accused of cheating." FIFA "is reported to have begun an investigation into the matter." No player or official is accused of any wrongdoing (TELEGRAPH, 10/30).
