Siasia appeals FIFA’s life ban

Former Super Eagles Coach Samson Siasia said on Thursday he had
lodged an appeal against his life ban from the game by world
football governing body, FIFA.

Siasia was banned for life from the game, following a
match-fixing probe by FIFA.

Siasia, who spoke to NAN in Abuja through his associate, Opukiri
Jones-Ere, said his lawyers had submitted an appeal against the ban
to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“Siasia has submitted his statement of appeal to CAS in
Switzerland, asking the court to stop FIFA’s decision until his
appeal is heard.

“He has galvanised all resources and the deserved courage to
clear his name and unchain himself from the FIFA ban which hit him
unexpectedly last month.

“He has also vowed to go to the end of his life to show that he
is innocent,” Jones-Ere said.

On Aug. 16, FIFA said in a statement that the adjudicatory
chamber of its independent ethics committee found the 51-year-old
Siasia guilty.

He was “guilty of having accepted that he will receive bribes in
relation to manipulation of matches in violation of FIFA Code of
Ethics.”

Siasia played 51 times as a striker for the Nigerian national
team and later coached various national youth sides before his
first spell as senior coach in 2010.

His case is the latest to emerge from FIFA’s long-running
investigation into the activities of Singaporean Wilson Raj
Perumal, whom FIFA has called a “known match fixer”.

Perumal has admitted such activity in several interviews.

FIFA said Siasia was banned for life “from all football-related
activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national
and international levels.”

Siasia was also fined CHF 50,000 (41,997.1 pounds).

The former Nigerian international was appointed Super Eagles
head coach from 2010 to October, 2011 and was reappointed in
2016.

FIFA had in 1989 banned Nigeria for two years from age-grade
football competitions over discrepancies discovered in the ages
provided by the duo of Siasia and Dahiru Sadi.

The ages were provided while registering both players for the
1985 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in the then Soviet Union and the 1988
Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

(NAN)

Subscribe ToNairalaw News!