A Nigerian Fifa official has told the BBC he is not guilty of allegations that he offered to sell his votes in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup.

Amos Adamu told Farayi Mungazi of the BBC African Service that he welcomed the Fifa investigation into the claims.
Reporters from the Sunday Times posed as lobbyists for a consortium of US firms who wanted to bring the tournament to the United States.

Mr Adamu allegedly said he wanted cash to build pitches in Nigeria.

"The [Fifa] ethics committee will investigate this and I am very happy about it because this will enable the whole world to know the truth of the matter,” he told the BBC.

"As far as I am concerned I am not guilty of what they are saying, but the ethics committee is credible and Fifa is a credible organisation. I am sure that the whole truth will come out. I welcome it.”

Mr Adamu, who is a Fifa executive committee member and president of the West African Football Union, is said to have told the undercover reporters he wanted $800,000 (£500,000) to build the four artificial football pitches in Nigeria.

Agencies