FIFA has slammed a life ban on former Nigeria coach Samson Siasia. In addition, he has been fined $50,000 for agreeing to the “manipulation of matches.”
Siasia, whose mother is still being held by kidnappers two months after she was abducted from her home fell under FIFA’s hammer on Friday afternoon.
He was coach of Nigeria between 2010-2011 and for a spell in 2016. He was also coach of Under 20 and Under 23.
FIFA did not state when he committed the infractions, but said the ex-Nigeria international has been notified today.
Siasia is the third African to be banned by FIFA. Former Sierra Leone FA official Abu Bakarr Kabba and former Botswana FA official Mooketsi Kgotlele were suspended in July for five years and for life respectively.
The sanction stems from an ongoing ‘large-scale investigation’ Fifa is conducting into the behaviour of Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted match-fixer from Singapore.
Siasia won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, for whom he played over 50 times while scoring 16 goals.
Read FIFA’s full statement:
The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Mr Samson Siasia, a former official of the Nigeria Football Federation, guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
The formal ethics proceedings against Mr Siasia were initiated on 11 February 2019 and stem from an extensive investigation into matches that Mr Wilson Raj Perumal attempted to manipulate for betting purposes. This large-scale investigation was conducted by FIFA via its competent departments and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and authorities.
In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Siasia had breached art. 11 (Bribery) of the 2009 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics and banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 50,000 has been imposed on Mr Siasia.
The decision was notified to Mr Siasia today, the date on which the ban comes into force.
