- HiA renowned former Super Eagles player and head coach, Samson Siasia has officially ended his 5-year ban imposed by FIFA for match-fixing allegations and is available for a coaching job.
Recall that the Olympic silver and bronze medal-winning coach Samson Siasia was banned by FIFA from all football-related activities for life and a 50,000 Swiss Francs fine in 2019.
Given Siasia’s noteworthy accomplishments in Nigerian football, the football community was taken aback by this decision.
However, Siasia’s lifetime sentence was lowered to five years and the fine was cancelled after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
Siasia’s five-year suspension ended on August 16, 2024, capping a difficult time for the respected coach after a long wait.
The Super Eagles legend has continued to uphold his innocence over the years, reiterating his dedication to the game and his goal of making a positive impact on football.
Highlights of Samson Siasia’s career include helping Nigeria’s U-23 squad win a bronze medal in Rio 2016 and a silver medal in Beijing 2008.
He has a well-respected position in Nigerian football history thanks to his tactical prowess and capacity to motivate younger players.
In the coming days however, the former Nantes of France attacker will be a free man and be eligible to participate in football matters and reports have it that he is weighing an offer to take over as the head coach of Mighty Jets.
The Jos-based club was reported to have put forward a lucrative offer of N10 million per month to secure Siasia’s services and that he is seriously considering the proposal.
The football community eagerly anticipates Siasia’s potential comeback to the game following the end of his ban.
Notwithstanding, some pundits believe that with five years away from the field of play, though Siasia may not be out of touch with modern football, in football five years is enough time to lose touch with football in terms of delivering value and quality, the realities of it, and new technologies that have come into football management, noting that a team like Super Eagles that is struggling to qualify for major tournaments should not think of considering engaging Siasia as the head coach right now, rather the football community should be rejoicing that he is free and back.
