Speculations On Siasia As He Completes FIFA Ban

Samson Siasia, a former player and coach of the Super Eagles, has officially completed a five-year ban imposed by FIFA following match-fixing allegations.

Initially, Siasia was handed a lifetime ban, but in 2019, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) reduced his punishment to five years. CAS ruled that the original penalty was excessively severe for a first-time offender with only a minor role in the offence.

The reduced ban began on August 16, 2019, and has now concluded. While Siasia has yet to disclose his future plans, there is speculation that he might return to coaching, possibly with Mighty Jets Football Club in Jos.

The match-fixing scandal that led to Siasia’s ban dates back to 2010, when a match-fixer approached him with an offer to become a coach at a club controlled by the fixer. In exchange, Siasia was expected to select certain players. However, the negotiations broke down when the club either could not or chose not to meet Siasia’s conditions, and the scheme did not progress further.

In its ruling, CAS acknowledged Siasia’s limited involvement in the incident but emphasized that the punishment was necessary as a deterrent to others. The court also annulled a CHF 50,000 fine that had been imposed on Siasia.

Siasia’s football career has been remarkable both as a player and as a coach. He earned 51 caps for Nigeria, scoring 13 goals, and was a key player in the 1994 FIFA World Cup team and the 1994 African Nations Cup-winning squad. As a coach, he led Nigeria’s Under-20 team to the final of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and secured the African Youth Championship title. He also guided Nigeria’s U-23 team to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Siasia briefly served as the head coach of the Super Eagles in 2016.

As Siasia’s ban concludes, the football community eagerly anticipates his next steps in what has been a storied and resilient career.

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