Nigeria’s former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia is shocked and outraged over his ban by FIFA over match-fixing allegations and accused the world football governing body of a reckless ruling.
The former U-23 coach said FIFA dished out punishment on him without seeking his own side of the story and vowed to fight to the finish and restore his reputation.
“How can person be charged and found guilty of an allegation without being heard from?’’ he asked.
“I am shocked with FIFA ban, I was never questioned by FIFA.
“I don’t know anything about this. I did nothing wrong and I have not received any letter from FIFA,” he said.
Siasia was banned for life from participating in all football related activities by FIFA on Friday, August 16.
According to FIFA, Siasia is found guilty of taking bribes to fix matches.
In a statement, the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s independent ethics committee, said on August 16 that the probe targeting Siasia stemmed from a wider investigation involving Wilson Raj Perumal, who has confessed to international match-fixing.
The probe that began in February found Siasia “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 statement said.
In addition to being banned from all football related activities for life, Siasia was also handed a fine of 50,000 Swiss francs ($50,000, 46,000 euros).
Although FIFA did not detail of the nature of ties to Perumal, a Singaporean national who was arrested and jailed in Finland in 2011 for fixing top-tier football games there but is said the Siasia breached Article 11 (Bribery edition of FIFA Code of Ethics).
Siasia would no longer take part in football related activities, including administrative, sports, and others both at international and local level.
According to a statement released by FIFA on August 16, 2019, the ban has been communicated to the Nigerian and comes into immediate effect.
MM/as/APA