The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday, said that it was “shocked” by FIFA’s choice to force a life ban on the former national coach, Samson Siasia and promised too overturn it.
FIFA says it restricted Siasia, 52, from football, following a long-running inestigation concerning convicted match fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal.
After his arrest, Perumal worked together with investigators.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee discovered Siasia “guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”
Acting NFF president Seyi Akinwunmi said in an statement, that the FIFA report had been given to the body’s legal advisors “to study and provide legal advice to the federation,” he said, adding that Siasia “gave his all for Nigeria.”
The statement added: “The NFF was shocked to learn of the investigation and the subsequent decision by the FIFA Ethics Committee (Adjudicatory Chamber) placing a life ban on Mr. Samson Siasia.
“He is a football legend but most importantly he is a Nigerian.
“We respect the FIFA processes. The least we as a Federation can do is empathize with him at this time make ourselves available to him and hope that in some way he is able to clear his name.”
