By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja Bureau
All may not be well with one of Nigeria’s football legends and successful youth coach, Samson Yebowie Siasia as the world football governing body, FIFA today (Friday) handed him a life ban from all football related activities for violating FIFA Code of Ethics.
The former Super Eagles star and later Head Coach also received in addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 50,000 for the offence.
FIFA dropped this bombshell this Friday afternoon in a four paragraph press release titled:Adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee sanctions Samson 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. 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”, FIFA said in the statement.
Meanwhile, Siasia who led Nigerian Olympics football team, Dream Team to win Bronze medal at the last Olympic Games in Brazil is currently facing double jeopardy as his kidnapped aged mother has not been released.She has been kidnapped before and was released after many days in captivity.
