June 21, (THEWILL)- There was massive relief for Samson Siasia after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the final arbiter in resolving legal disputes in the field of sports, reduced to five years the life ban imposed on Samson Siasia by FIFA in a match-fixing case in 2019.
THEWILL recalls that the world football governing body had slammed the former Super Eagles coach with the maximum penalty after their investigations of the notorious Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Perumal revealed a Siasia connection.
For a sports administrator of Siasia’s repute, a life ban carried far-reaching consequences. It precluded the coach from all football-related activities, administrative, sports or any related affairs at all levels, international and domestic.
In addition, the former Nantes attacking midfielder was also fined over £40,000 (about N18 million, at the time) even though the iconic Super Eagles player and coach always maintained that he was innocent of all the charges levelled against him.
According to the statement reducing FIFA’s hammer, CAS ruled that a life ban for Samson Siasia was a “disproportionate” penalty for a passive offence that did not earn Siasia any money in the end.
The statement from the judges at CAS read: “The imposition of a life ban to be disproportionate for a first offence which was committed passively and which had not had an adverse or immediate effect on football stakeholders.”
The arbitration did not only reduce the life ban, it completely overturned the monetary fine of N18 million. By the authority of CAS therefore, Siasia will be able to return to football administration and management when his ban expires in August 2024, if he so desires.
The distinguished footballer that he was, Siasia’s career involved helping Nigeria win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying her for the country’s debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year as well while still actively playing.
When his football playing days were over, the talented Siasia went into football management. His profile was elevated even further when the retired midfielder took the youth national team to a runners-up silver position at the 2005 World Youth Championship.
And, at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Siasia’s charges finished in the bronze medal category.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
