Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has confirmed that he will be free from FIFA Ban in August 2024.
In August 2019, Samson Siasia who used to be one of the finest coaches in Nigeria was slammed with a $50,000 fine and banned from any football-related activity for approving “the manipulation of matches” for betting purposes.
Siasia’s punishment, according to FIFA, was the outcome of an extensive investigation into matches that Wilson Perumal allegedly attempted to manipulate.
However, the Court of Arbitration for Sports lowered his suspension to five years in 2021 after filing an appeal. The five years will expire in August 2024.
In an interview with Kennis 104.1FM, Samson Siasia said he can’t wait to return to football as he insisted that he didn’t commit any crime.
The former Super Eagles coach said, “I thought I was going to be free by this year (2023) and I was so excited.
“But I had to look through the document that FIFA served me, and I found out that it was going to be next year.
“By next year, in August 2024, I will be free from the FIFA ban, and hopefully I will be back to football.
“Irrespective of what happened, I have learned my lessons, but FIFA, who initially gave me a life ban in football, could not prove anything wrong with what they claimed I did. But they had to reduce it to a five-year ban, and it will expire next year. I thank God for that.
“It has been terrible to be away from football for five years, but I am preparing myself to come back to football, so I have to prepare myself so I can start ‘running’ once I resume by next year.”
After retiring from professional football, Samson Siasia ventured into football management and made a huge statement when he led the Nigerian men’s Under-23 squad to 2008 and 2016 Olympics.
Despite the challenges before and during the 2016 Olympics, Siasia, 56, managed to help the team to win Bronze at the tournament.
Hence, Siasia is the Nigerian to lead a team to win two Olympic medals at two different editions, silver in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China and bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil.
