Siasia FIFA life ban shocking, lack fair hearing –Fagite
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By Femi Atolagbe
The Director of Coaching, Ondo State Sports Council (OSSC), Mr Joseph Sunday Fagite has joined other stakeholders to expressed shocked at the news of the life ban placed on former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia from all football related activities.
Fagite during a chat with the Sporting Hope at the State Sports Complex in Akure the state capital said the way and manner the former Eagles gaffer was banned was shocking, surprising without fair hearing.
Recalled that on August 16, 2019, Federation of International Football Association FIFA announced that a former Super Eagles player and coach, Samson Siasia had been slammed with a life ban.
It said that the adjudicatory chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee of the world football body found Siasia, a former official of the Nigeria Football Federation, guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.
According to the Director of Coaching: “No matter what the case may be Siasia suppose to be given opportunity to defend himself on the allegation before they arrived at their decision to slammed life ban on him.”
Fagite therefore charged Nigeria Football Federation NFF and other stakeholders to protest to the footballing body with a view to reviewing the action of the FIFA Ethics Committee.
Meanwhile the former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia has denied having any knowledge of the Federation of International Football Association, FIFA, ban.
He vowed to fight back to clear is name of any wrong doing.
The Nigeria Football Federation has also disclosed that its lawyers have started review the decision of FIFA which on last week Friday announced that it had placed a life ban on the former Eagles gaffer from all football-related activities on Siasia.
Acting President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Seyi Akinwunmi, said during the week that the Federation had already reached out to the former U20, U23 and Super Eagles head coach and is aware that he is receiving appropriate legal advice.
Akinwumi said “we have however now received documents, including one known as the Motivated Decision, and we have handed them to our lawyers to study and provide legal advice to the Federation.”
“It is a massive sanction on one of our legends. Siasia is a fooball legend but most importantly he is a Nigerian. We must therefore be interested in the matter and be properly advised.”