Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has voiced his belief that the Nigeria Football Federation colluded with FIFA in his banishment over alleged involvement in match-fixing back in August 2019.
Speaking recently with Athlist, the 56-year-old, whose ban is set to conclude soon, revealed that not only did the NFF fail to lend him support, but they also adhered to FIFA’s directive to keep him unaware of the investigation into him by the global football governing body.
“At that critical juncture, Nigeria deserted me; that’s my perspective on how events unfolded,” remarked the former Eagles striker and member of the victorious 1994 AFCON squad.
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“The allegations revolve around bribery. But what constitutes bribery? Isn’t it the exchange of money? Was there any concrete evidence of such transactions? There was none.
“I engaged in discussions with an individual looking to hire me as a coach in Australia. Unbeknownst to me, this individual was involved in match-fixing, a fact known to FIFA. Why then permit his involvement in any FIFA-sanctioned event?
“When FIFA began probing, I was oblivious. I am not directly associated with FIFA; my affiliation lies with the NFF. Consequently, FIFA approached the NFF, instructing them not to inform me of the investigation. But if I remained unaware, how could I mount a defense?”
Siasia continued, “Later, a letter from FIFA arrived, but it languished in my spam folder. Only two days before the ban did I stumble upon FIFA’s pursuit of me.
“We then scrambled to establish communication to arrange a hearing. However, FIFA asserted that the window had closed and directed me to approach the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).
“It took nearly two days to initiate that process. Locating a sports attorney in Nigeria proved arduous. We persisted and eventually succeeded. Yet, the individual tasked with drafting the appeal brief is now suing me, insisting on a payment of €300,000, despite our initial agreement being in euros. I continue to grapple with this burden simply because Nigerians failed to scrutinize the situation.”
Siasia’s appeal against the ban was filed nearly two years later, in June 2021, at CAS. The appeal resulted in a reduction of the suspension to five years and the annulment of an additional fine of 50,000 Swiss francs ($54,000).
Renowned as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished coaches, Siasia steered the U20 and U23 national teams to silver at the 2005 World Cup and the men’s football event of the 2008 Olympic Games, respectively.
Prior to his FIFA sanction, Siasia had applied for the vacant Cameroon national team coaching position, among 77 other contenders.