The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has disclosed that its lawyers have started to review the decision against former Nigeria player and coach Samson Siasia by the FIFA Ethics Committee, which on Friday announced that it had placed a life ban from all football-related activities on Siasia.
Acting President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, himself a lawyer of more than three decades at the bar, said on Monday that the Federation had already reached out to the former U20, U23 and Super Eagles head coach and is aware that he is receiving appropriate legal advice.
“The NFF was shocked to learn of the investigation and subsequent decision by the FIFA Ethics Committee (Adjudicatory Chamber) placing a life ban on Mr. Samson Siasia. But we have however now received documents, including one known as the Motivated Decision, and we have handed them to our lawyers to study and provide legal advice to the Federation.
“It is a massive sanction on one of our legends. Siasia is a fooball legend but most importantly he is a Nigerian. We must therefore be interested in the matter and be properly advised.”
Akinwunmi added: “Siasia gave his all for Nigeria, playing for the U20 team right from his secondary school days and then for the senior team for several years, and also coaching the U20 and U23 teams and the Super Eagles. While we respect the FIFA processes and appreciate that an investigation was conducted prior to the decision, the least we as a Federation can do is empathise with him at this time, make ourselves available to him and hope that in some way he is able to clear his name as he has promised to do.”
Siasia was found guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.
“The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found 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 statement reads.
“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.”
Siasia won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, for whom he played over 50 times while scoring 16 goals.
Siasia was coach of Nigeria between 2010-2011 and for a spell in 2016 but the time period when FIFA believes he committed his infractions is unclear.
He has also served as coach of the country’s Under-20 and U-23 sides.
