How FIFA Compounded Former Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia’s Headache

CHUKA UBAH

This may not be the best of time for former Super Eagle Coach, Samson Siasia, as the FIFA has banned him for life over bribery comments.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the FIFA ban dealt a heavy blow on the embattled coach as he was said to have received the news while still battling on how to get the release of his aged mother, who was kidnapped for ransom, by unidentified gunmen in his home town in Nigeria.
The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee of FIFA has found former Super Eagles Coach, Siasia, guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes to manipulate matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
In a statement posted on its website on Friday afternoon, FIFA said the formal ethics proceedings against Siasia were initiated on 11th February, 2019, and stemmed 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 statement said.

Before FIFA struck, Coach Siasia’s mother is still being held by kidnappers, who are demanding for a ransom of N50million. This is the second time the 76-year old woman is being held by ransom seeking gunmen in Siasia’s home state. The Coach is said to be highly troubled by the concatenation of events around him.

Stakeholders in the football circle, who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS, said that the Nigerian football body, NFF, should show concern and equally look into the issues raised by FIFA while charging the security agencies to help rescue the embattled Coach’s mother in order to save him from being completely distressed.