Real reason why FIFA banned coach Siasia, fined CHF 50,000

Football governing body (FIFA) on Friday handed a life ban to former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia for admitting that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.

Siasia has been banned for life by FIFA. The verdict which has officially been conveyed to the former coach comes after a large scale investigation carried out by the relevant units of the federation.

In a statement released on August 16 by the Independent Ethics Committee, the federation also imposed a fine of CHF 50,000 on Siasia.

“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,” read the statement.

Siasia who served as coach of the country’s Under-20 and Under-23 sides becomes the third African to be banned by Fifa for his links to Perumal after former Sierra Leone FA official Abu Bakarr Kabba and former Botswana FA official Mooketsi Kgotlele.

The ban further adds to Siasia’s woes whose mother was kidnapped last month in Bayelsa state, Nigeria.