National Teams
“What is bribery?” – Samson Siasia knocks NFF over FIFA ban
By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Nigeria player and coach, Samson Siasia, who was handed a five-year ban by FIFA due to allegations of bribery and match-fixing, has spoken out about his ordeal.
In a recent interview with Athlist, Siasia expressed his frustration with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and FIFA, claiming he faced injustice and abandonment.
“I felt bad that Nigeria abandoned me at a time of need. It’s an allegation,” Siasia said. “They said bribery, but was there proof? I spoke to someone who wanted to hire me as a coach in Australia, but I didn’t know he was a match-fixer.”
Siasia explained that FIFA knew about the individual’s background but still allowed him to be involved in football activities. “When they found out through emails how this guy would take me to Australia, I was excited,” he said. “We talked about salaries, bonuses, and fees.”
He expressed disappointment that FIFA did not inform him directly about the investigation and only notified the NFF. “They sent me a letter, but it went unnoticed until the last two days before the ban,” he revealed.
Despite efforts to communicate with FIFA, Siasia claimed he received no response until it was too late. “Nigeria couldn’t stand on its feet to say, let’s take care of our legend. Everybody ran away,” he lamented.
Siasia highlighted the financial strain he faced during the ban and criticized FIFA’s decision to impose a five-year ban on top of a life ban. “They were trying to save face so I can’t sue them. They just smeared my name,” he said.
He also criticized the NFF for not offering support. “Within all this, our federation, what did they do? Nothing. They just left me all by myself,” he said.
Siasia’s ban is set to end in a few months, but he expressed skepticism about receiving support upon his return. “When this ban is over, they will say come back. Is it not so? Yeah, that’s what’s gonna happen,” he concluded.
