Siasia and Sunday Dare trade words over govt's commitment to sport

Former Nigeria coach Samson Siasia has revealed that he received no support from Nigeria’s Federal Government during his battle to have his life ban from football overturned.

Siasia was handed a life ban in 2019 from all football activities by FIFA for his involvement in match-fixing with notorious Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Perumal.

The ex-international claimed his innocence and took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). After two years, Siasia finally received some good news as CAS reduced the life ban to five years while the £40,000 fine he received was also overturned. 

However, Siasia has expressed his disappointment with the treatment he got from the Federal Government, saying he never received financial support from the President or the Ministry of Sports.

“This my issue is a government problem, but up till today, we know Buhari is the President, Siasia said at a press conference in Abuja.

The Minister of Sports when he came in, I met him, he told me he knew about my problem, but they don’t have money, and that was it.

“I thought what he would have done is go to the President. I am a legend; I have played, broke my leg for this country and also coached.”

“If I played for America – yes, I have an American passport, but I played for Nigeria – if I was like Michael Jordan, they (American government) would take it upon themselves.”

The Nigerian government has not done well when it comes to my case,” he added.

But the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, has responded to Siasia’s accusations. Dare accused the former Nantes star of lying about lack of financial support as the government gave him cash- although he failed to reveal the amount.

“Samson Siasia is not telling the truth, the Ministry and the Federal Government will come out with the facts, the cash he collected and the efforts we made.

“He is not telling the truth,” Dare said.

“The government & my ministry will reveal soon the amount of cash he got,” he added.

Siasia’s statement comes after the government revealed they would redeem the housing pledge made to the triumphant Super Eagles 1994 Africa Cup of Nations squad, of which Siasia was a member.