Siasia Mourns Five-Year Absence From Football

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Latest Headlines, Sports News Saturday, September 2nd, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has stated that he feels terrible being away from football.
The African Examiner recalls that Siasia was banned from all football activities for life in August 2019 by the world football governing body FIFA and fined $50,000 after he agreed to ‘the manipulation of matches’ for betting purposes.

FIFA had stated that Siasia’s ban is from an extensive investigation into matches that Wilson Perumal attempted to fix.
However, in 2021, after an appeal, his ban was reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sports which lapsed in August 2024 and the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner is already eager to get back to football.

“I thought I was going to be free by this year (2023) and I was so excited,” Siasia said in a radio interview on Kennis 104.1FM.

“But I had to look through the document that FIFA served me, and I found out that it was going to be next year.

“By next year, in August 2024, I will be free from the FIFA ban, and hopefully I will be back to football.
“Irrespective of what happened, I have learned my lessons, but FIFA, who initially gave me a life ban in football, could not prove anything wrong with what they claimed I did. But they had to reduce it to a five-year ban, and it will expire next year. I thank God for that.

“It has been terrible to be away from football for five years, but I am preparing myself to come back to football, so I have to prepare myself so I can start ‘running’ once I resume by next year.”