Siasia returns to coaching soon as FIFA ban winds down

Siasia returns to coaching soon as FIFA ban winds down

Former Super Eagles head coach Samson Siasia is preparing to return to coaching with a local league club soon. Siasia, initially handed a life ban by FIFA over match-fixing allegations, saw his punishment reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). With his ban set to expire at the end of this month, the 56-year-old is eligible to resume his coaching career.

Reports indicate that several clubs in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria National League (NNL) have expressed interest in hiring Siasia. Once the ban is lifted, the former Nantes striker will decide on his next coaching role.

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Siasia, a member of Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON-winning squad, had previously accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of colluding with FIFA to have him banned in August 2019 for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. He maintained his innocence, explaining that his supposed involvement arose from conversations with an individual seeking to hire him as a coach in Australia. Unknown to Siasia, this individual was a known match-fixer, a fact FIFA was reportedly aware of.

“Nigeria abandoned me when I needed them the most,” Siasia said. “It was just an allegation; they accused me of bribery. But what is bribery? Isn’t it when money changes hands? Was there any evidence? None at all.”