In 2019, FIFA handed former Nigeria national team coach Samson Siasia a lifetime ban from all football-related activities, citing “receipt of bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.”

At the time, Siasia had coached Nigeria’s senior team, as well as the Under-20 and Under-23 sides.

FIFA’s Ethics Committee determined that Siasia violated the FIFA Code of Ethics, imposing not only a lifetime ban but also a $50,000 fine.

The sanction was part of a broader investigation into Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal, whose network implicated several football officials worldwide, BBC reports.

According to Africanews, Siasia became the third African football figure sanctioned in connection with Perumal, alongside Abu Bakarr Kabba of Sierra Leone and Mooketsi Kgotlele of Botswana.

Siasia maintains innocence, gets ban reduced

Siasia’s lifetime ban did not last permanently.

In a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the punishment was reduced to five years, citing insufficient evidence to justify the original lifetime penalty.

The ban by FIFA officially expired at the end of August 2024, paving the way for his return to football.

Speaking to the media, Siasia insisted on his innocence, arguing that he had been wrongly accused.

“There’s no proof to that. When you talk about corruption, is it not when money exchanges hands and all that? There was nothing. There’s no video, no evidence of any wrongdoing. Just because I was talking to a match-fixer, does it make you a match-fixer? No,” he explained.

Siasia described the initial ban as emotionally devastating.

“I was actually doing well as a coach. And out of nowhere, bang, it hit me like a slug to my chest, and it broke me down. I wasn’t prepared for it and it just kind of messed up everything.”

Siasia backed for coaching return

With the ban officially over, Siasia is reportedly attracting interest from several Nigerian clubs, including those in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria National League (NNL).

His wealth of experience, having played for Nigeria over 50 times and scored 16 goals, including being part of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team, makes him a highly sought-after figure for domestic football.

Siasia’s return is anticipated with great interest, as officials look forward to seeing the former Super Eagles coach back on the sidelines.

While the controversy surrounding his career will not soon be forgotten, the end of his ban marks a new chapter in his football journey, offering him an opportunity to rebuild his legacy in Nigerian and African football.