NOT GUILTY!

NOT GUILTY!

Posted: Apr 26, 2013

Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike was on Thursday cleared of match-fixing charges by an Istanbul court.

The striker faced up to three years in jail after prosecutors alleged that Fenerbahce had fixed a 2010-2011 Super League game against his then club Karabukspor by requesting them to leave the Nigerian out of the match.

Emenike, his club's leading scorer at the time, missed the fixture over what the club said was an injury.

Fenerbahce in a tight battle with Trabzonspor for the championship, went on to win that game, and the league title. Emenike subsequently joined Fenerbahce at the end of that season as part of the alleged arrangement.

He spent some time in detention at the beginning of the investigation and immediately demanded a transfer on his release without ever kicking a ball in anger for Fener.

While several Fenerbahçe officials, including chairman Aziz Yildirim, his brother Ali Acar Yildirim and vice-chairman Sekip Mosturoglu, were found guilty last July, Emenike's case was not heard at the time because he could not attend the hearings.

The Fenerbahçe chairman was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, pending appeal.

When the Nigerian eventually appeared in court, his defence was that he was injured and could not play.

He also denied either receiving any offer or money from Fenerbahçe before the game in 2011.

Emenike argued that he had medical reports confirming that he was unfit to face Fener, while the report of Karabükspor’s club doctor stated that he could have played through an injection.

“The doctor who oversaw me at the hospital said there was no way I could play,” Emenike had said in his defense. “Then I contacted the Nigerian national football team coach, and he told me that playing with an injection could threaten my career.”

 "I have always maintained my innocence and I thank God that justice prevailed at last," Emenike told BBC Sport after the judgement.

"I'm relieved that everything is over. I can concentrate on my football now. There's true justice in Turkey and I'm grateful to my legal team, my agent, management of Fenerbahce and their fans.

"I'm a happy man and I am very happy that it is over." --------------------- Complete Sports