By Osasu Obayiuwana BBC Sport, Tunis

Samuel Eto'o models Cameroon's controversial one-piece kit

The cup holders have been wearing a one-piece kit and have been warned they are violating rules on playing apparel.

Cameroon could now face sanctions after claiming they have no choice but to wear the kit for the rest of the tournament.

But in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, Horst Widmann, executive assistant to Puma chairman Jochen Zeitz, said the team has been left with no other option.

"We are unable to provide new kit for Cameroon for a period of 60 days, so if Fifa fines the Cameroon Federation we will take the responsibility," Widmann said.

But the Puma official insisted that his organisation had obtained clearance from Fifa deputy general secretary Jerome Champagne before the kit was manufactured.

"I personally took drawings of the kit to Jerome Champagne in Zurich last September," Widmann said.

"He told me that he thought that it was a nice idea and that the designs were within the rules.

"He also advised me to take the designs to Caf (the Confederation of African Football), which I did in early December.

We really did not want this kind of scandal Puma's Horst Widmann

"(Caf president Issa) Hayatou, (Caf secretary general Mustapha) Fahmy and a Caf lawyer were present at that meeting.

"It was agreed at that meeting that the kit met the requirements of the rules," Widmann claimed.

Widmann said he was surprised when Fifa wrote a letter to the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) on 30 January, demanding that the kit no longer be worn at the Cup of Nations.

"Sepp Blatter (Fifa president) told me that he received no information about the design (from Jerome Champagne) and asked that we show the kit to him.

"We organised a meeting and gave samples to Walter Gagg, who represented him and his response was positive."

Widmann, who stayed away from Cameroon's quarter-final game against Nigeria in order to avoid questions from reporters, said the entire episode has been a publicity nightmare for his company.

"We really did not want this kind of scandal. But football must have new ideas, which is what Fifa says it wants for the game," he said.

Widmann also hinted that Puma could take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a final ruling if Fifa refuses to reverse its 30 January ruling.

"Taking matters to court is not the best option but it is not a possibility that we can rule out," he said.