Why we banned Siasia for life, by FIFA

World football ruling body FIFA has banned former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia for life after the ethics committee found him guilty of bribery allegation.

A release Friday by FIFA confirmed that the former international has also been asked to pay a fine of CHF 50,000 ($51,000) about N18.5million.

The former U-23 coach is said to have accepted bribe in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

The hammer is coming in the midst of emotional torture which the former Nantes striker is undergoing following the kidnap of his mother Madam Ogere Siasia.

Siasia’s 93 year old Father only recently raised alarm to security authorities even as he made passionate appeal to the kidnappers to release his wife who has been in their custody close to a month now.

Samson Siasia heading for the bench after dishing out instructions
The latest development means that Siasia who turned 52 on Wednesday will not only worry about the travails of his mother in the hands of kidnappers but also about the way forward for his football/coaching career.

The FIFA release Friday read thus;

“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