Samson Siasia, former player and coach of the Super Eagles, has officially completed a five-year ban imposed by FIFA due to match-fixing allegations.
Initially handed a lifetime ban, Siasia’s penalty was reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2019. CAS deemed a lifetime ban excessive for a first-time offender who played a passive role in the incident.
The reduced ban, effective from August 16, 2019, has now ended. While Siasia has not publicly disclosed his future plans, there is speculation that he may join Mighty Jets Football Club in Jos as a coach.
The match-fixing case dates back to 2010 when a match-fixer attempted to involve Siasia by offering him a coaching job at a club under his control in exchange for fielding certain players. Negotiations fell through after the club either declined or could not meet Siasia’s demands, and the matter did not advance.
In its ruling, CAS emphasized the importance of the punishment as a deterrent, though it acknowledged Siasia’s limited involvement. The CHF 50,000 fine imposed by FIFA was also set aside by CAS.
Samson Siasia’s football career has been remarkable both as a player and coach. He earned 51 caps for Nigeria, scoring 13 goals, and was part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup team and the 1994 African Nations Cup-winning squad. As a coach, he led Nigeria’s Under-20 team to the final of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the African Youth Championship title. He also coached Nigeria’s U-23 team to a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Siasia briefly served as head coach of the Super Eagles in 2016.
