Former Super Eagles’ striker and head coach, Samson Yebowei Siasia has gained a rush of comforting words of support against the shock decision by world soccer governing body, FIFA to ban him for life, over alleged financial discrepancies in the game.
Megasportsarena.com gathered that, in the wake of Friday’s stunning news that Siasia had been hammed by the global body, a cross-section of Nigerian football personalities, journalists and fans have spoken out in favour of the players-turned-coach, who has also handled the under-20 squad, Flying Eagles, and under-23 side, Olympic Eagles.
He took the youth squad to silver behind Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Holland, then lost to same country and player in the Beijing Olympics final in 2008, before getting bronze at the Rio 2016 games in Brazil.
All these achievements make Siasia very popular among Nigerian soccer followers, to the extent that many of them refuse to come to grips with FIFA’s damning verdict against their hero, who they now want to acquit of all alleged wrongdoing.
The focal points of most comments rooting for Siasia and urging for a review of the FIFA verdict is that the ex-international was not given a chance to defend himself, while many of the respondents equally wondered when, where and how the said infringements the star is accused of occurred.
The report from Zurich, Switzerland stated in part: “The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Mr Samson Siasia, a former official of the Nigeria Football Federation, 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 formal ethics proceedings against Mr Siasia were initiated on 11 February 2019 and stem from an extensive investigation into matches that Mr Wilson Raj Perumal attempted to manipulate for betting purposes. This large-scale investigation was conducted by FIFA via its competent departments and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and authorities.
“In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Siasia had breached art. 11 (Bribery) of the 2009 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics and banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 50,000 has been imposed on Mr Siasia.”
However, the verdict from Nigerians taken up on the matter continues to be that FIFA should provide better information and details about the incidents in which Siasia was found culpable, it could be assumed that the global body has erred in a case of mistaken identity.
Leading the rallying point in Siasia’s favour is one of his colleagues in the Eagles’ squad of 1994 that won the Africa Cup of Nations and debuted at the World Cup, Emeka Ezeugo, who took to facebook to air his view.
He posted in a debate ignited by former Eagles’ media officer, Colin Udoh that ‘Sia1’ should be considered innocent until proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt, which he insists has not been done, as the former striker did not get the chance of making his defence.
Ezeugo pondered: “Is FIFA that dumb; that a football official of such repute could be convicted without a representation in the trial?”
Udoh posted: “I have just spoken to Siasia. His words: “I don’t know anything about this. I did nothing wrong and I have not received any letter from FIFA.”
“Siasia also told me – very angrily – that he was never invited to defend himself and is hearing about all of this for the first time. He will fight this and clear his name.
“In the meantime, I am still a bit skeptical about this notice from the @FIFAcom Adjudicatory Chamber. I’ve not seen it on any of the FIFA channels and I’ve been searching. So, until it comes, my advise would be to take it with a pinch of salt.”