Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia is officially back in action after a five-year FIFA ban imposed over match-fixing allegations. Initially slapped with a lifetime ban, the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) reduced the sanction to five years in 2019.
The court found that a lifetime ban was excessive for a first-time offender whose role in the offense could be considered passive. As of mid-August, the ban has ended, fueling speculation that Siasia may return to his coaching career, potentially joining Mighty Jets Football Club in Jos.
The controversial case dates back to 2010. A match-fixer propositioned Siasia with a coaching role at a club under his control in exchange for favoring certain players.
However, negotiations stalled due to Siasia’s demands, and the club either declined or could not meet them. As a result, the issue did not progress further.
Remarkably, CAS highlighted that the severity of the punishment was intended to serve as a deterrent, even though Siasia’s involvement was admittedly minimal. The fine of CHF 50,000 initially imposed was also dismissed by the CAS.
Siasia’s football career has been impressive. He earned 51 caps for Nigeria, scoring 13 goals. He was vital to 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 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bronze in the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2016, Siasia briefly served as head coach of the Super Eagles.
