23 Jul 2010 | 11:41 SAST

Australia bid given all clear

Fifa have cleared Australia of any wrongdoing in the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup

A newspaper claimed that Football Federation Australia had offered gifts to the wives of Fifa delegates in an attempt to influence voting.

But FFA executive Ben Buckley said the reports were without substance.

"We stated all along that those damaging allegations were false," Buckley said.

"Subsequently we have been cleared by the Federal Government, independent auditors and now by Fifa.

"With this behind us we can now concentrate on our bid to bring the biggest sporting event in the world to Australia in 2022."

Fifa's World Cup inspection team will visit Australia after they have toured Korea Republic.

"We are totally focused on bringing the FIFA World Cup to Australia in 2022," said FFA chairman Frank Lowy.

"The inspection tour of Australia provides an opportunity to showcase our first-class infrastructure and share details of our proposal for a uniquely Australian 2022 Fifa World Cup with Fifa directly.

"It is an important milestone in the bidding process and we need to ensure the inspectors can make the most of their short time here and see as much as possible without distractions."