Former Super Eagles’ striker and coach, Samson Yebowei Siasia has found a level of respite in the punishment he is serving on account of alleged match-fixing and corrupt dealings, as Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has cancelled a $50,000 fine imposed on him and reduced his ban to five years.
Megasportsarena.com gathered that the verdict by CAS comes at the climax of an appeal lodged by the once revered striker-turned-gaffer, who made hay with Julius Berger FC of Lagos, FC Nantes of France and SK Lokeren of Belgium, among other clubs, during his heyday.
He also excelled in his early days as a coach, winning silver for Nigeria at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup of Holland 2005 and Beijing 2008 Olympics, as well as bronze at Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil, while also enjoying two separate stints as Super Eagles’ head coach.
However, the 53-year-old icon’s image took a slide in 2019, when reports emerged that he had been banned for life by world football governing body, FIFA, for allegedly agreeing to ‘receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.’
Soon after the verdict was issued, much to the consternation of his teeming fans, Siasia appealed against the ban, as he vehemently denied the charges against him and, though he faced a long period of delay, due to his inability to raise funds for the court process, he has now won part of the case.
This is sequel to a report by BBC Sport indicating that CAS submitted in their verdict that ‘the imposition of a life ban to be disproportionate for a first offence which was committed passively.’
CAS also ruled that the said offence ‘had not had an adverse or immediate effect on football stakeholders, and that a five-year ban would still achieve the envisaged aim of punishing the infringement committed by Mr Siasia.’
Consequently, the life ban handed out to Sia1 has also been backdated to start on August 16, 2019 and started running immediately after FIFA’s verdict, but the Ajegunle-born star will now be free to return to football in 2024.
At the same time, CAS ruled that it was inappropriate to slam Siasia with a monetary punishment at the same time with the ban, but also ‘acknowledged the need for sanctions to be sufficiently high enough to eradicate bribery and especially match-fixing in football.’
The ruling by CAS added: “In 2010, a match fixer tried to involve Mr Siasia as a coach of a club under his strict instructions.
“With the promise of employment benefits, Mr Siasia would have had to always field several players under the control of the match fixer.
“The negotiations between the match fixer and Mr Siasia in relation to the conditions of employment were conducted by email over a period of two months.
“Eventually, the club did not accept or could not afford Mr Siasia’s requests and the negotiations ended.
“However, the Panel considered in the particular circumstances of this matter that it would be inappropriate and excessive to impose a financial sanction in addition to the five-year ban.
“Since the ban sanction already incorporated a financial punishment in eliminating football as a source of revenue for Mr Siasia. And considering that Mr Siasia had not obtained any gain or pecuniary benefit from his unethical behaviour.”
