After a long and challenging five-year hiatus from football, former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has announced his return to the sport he loves, declaring himself rejuvenated and ready to once again contribute to Nigerian football.
Siasia, who was banned by FIFA in 2019 over allegations of match-fixing, saw his lifetime ban reduced to five years by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). On Saturday, August 25, 2024, at an event organized by the Siaone Soccer Academy in Abuja, the 57-year-old tactician expressed his joy and determination to resume his coaching career.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the event, Siasia did not hold back on the emotional toll the ban had on him. “It was five difficult years of momentary pain and emotional anguish,” he said, describing the ordeal as a shock that came without warning. “The ban came as a shock to me and was very devastating, especially because it was over an offence I never committed,” he added.
Siasia, who has had an illustrious career both as a player and a coach, recounted the events that led to his suspension. According to him, the process was marred by a lack of transparency and fairness. “I was charged, investigated, tried, and sentenced without my knowledge. I was never informed that I was under investigation over any allegation against me. I did not have the chance to defend myself for one second before I was banned,” he lamented.
The former coach expressed deep frustration over being prevented from practicing the only profession he knows and loves. “I was prevented from fully practicing my only profession, the game of football,” Siasia stated. However, he was quick to express gratitude for his freedom, saying, “But I thank God that the night is over, the day is here at last, and I am free again to practice my profession with my usual honesty and sincerity of character.”
Siasia, who has always been known for his integrity and dedication to the sport, emphasized that he has never engaged in any form of corruption or dishonest practices in his over 25 years of coaching. “In my over 25 years of coaching career, I have jealously guarded and maintained my principles and character with utmost uncompromising sincerity. I have never and will never partake in bribery, corruption, and dirty deals of any sort,” he affirmed.
Despite the ban, Siasia remained connected to football, focusing on improving his knowledge and keeping up with the latest trends in the game. He stressed that his passion for the sport and his commitment to seeing Nigeria succeed on the global stage remained undiminished.
“I was inseparable from football, and the ban did not forbid me from renewing my knowledge of the game. My one and only aspiration was to see Nigeria succeed and reclaim her rightful position among the successful football-playing nations of the world,” he declared.
Siasia revealed that the past five years were not spent in idleness or despair but were instead a period of intense self-reflection and learning.
“I wish to inform my supporters across Nigeria and beyond that I did not spend the last five years in idleness or lamentation. Not one day out of the 1,826 days was wasted in agony or hopelessness. It was a period of serious reflection and painstaking updating and close appraisal and reappraisal of the dynamics of the game of my youth and adulthood,” he explained.
Now, with the ban behind him, Siasia is ready to re-enter the football world with renewed vigor and determination. “Today, I am back more resolved, more determined, more committed, and unbowed. For five years, I was down, but I am certainly not out because it is not over. I am returning to the game renewed and prepared to continue with my lifetime passion,” he said with conviction.
Samson Siasia’s ordeal began in August 2019, when FIFA handed him a lifetime ban from all football-related activities following allegations of match-fixing. The ban was related to an alleged incident involving match manipulation, which Siasia has consistently denied. The decision sent shockwaves through the Nigerian football community, where Siasia was a beloved figure known for his contributions to the national team both as a player and as a coach.
Siasia played as a striker for the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, earning over 50 caps and scoring key goals in various international tournaments. His coaching career is equally distinguished, having led Nigeria’s U-20 and U-23 teams to significant successes, including a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Siasia also had two stints as the head coach of the Super Eagles, during which he helped the team secure qualification for major tournaments.
Despite his appeals, FIFA upheld the decision until the CAS intervened in 2019, reducing the ban from a lifetime to five years. This reduction allowed Siasia to resume his football activities in August 2024, marking a new chapter in his life and career.
