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Coach Samson Siasia, former Super Eagles coach of Nigeria has painted graphic details of how he was left in the lurch by the the Federal Government of Nigeria, Nigeria Football Federation and fellow legends during his ordeal with the world football governing body Federation of International Football Association,FIFA.
He told newsmen that the Federal Government abandoned him at his greatest hour of need despite has years of service to the country as player, coach and Olympian.
The world football authority had in 2019 slammed a life ban and a fine 50,000 Swiss Francs on the former Super Eagles coach over alleged match fixing claim.
An appeal granted by the Lausanne -based Court of Arbitration in Sports CAS ) has earlier this week quashed the fifty thousand Francs and slashed the life ban to five, two and half of which has already been served by the coach.
Speaking in Abuja on the outcome of his Appeal to CAS, the exe international expressed gratitude to CAS and Ex Green Eagles captain, Segun Odegbami for believing in him and rallying his friends to pull out of dungeon.
He disclosed that it was through Odegbami the Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum Dr A.B Okauru and his wife took control of the case , set up a team that pursued the appeal.
The team he said included 2-Switzerland based Nigerians and two top Swiss lawyers.
He added that the decision by CAS is a huge relief and a vindication of his resolute stance that he never took bribe nor allow an external influence to override his judgement as a coach.
He explained that CAS allowed the five years ban because he did not say no when approached and failed to report the matter, and never on grounds that money exchanged hands between him and anybody.
Siasia said the government of president Mohammadu Buhari did not do well in the manner it ignore him to struggle like orphan before a global body like FIFA, stating he would not have faced such rejection had chosen to play for USA over Nigeria.
Siasia is a US citizen.
“I want to say something, it is about Nigerian government. This my issue is government problem. I know Mohammadu Buhari is the President. The minister of Sports when he came in I met him, I think he was two weeks in office before my problem . I met him. All he said was, coach I have heard about your problem, we don’t have money. That was all. We don’t have money.
“I think what these people have done is was very depressing because I am legend; I played for this country ,broke my leg ,I have coached ,I have done a lot for this country. If I am in America, If I had played for America, ( I have American passport,I am an American citizen), but I played for Nigeria.
If I was in America, like Micheal Jordan, they would have taken this problem upon themselves. Or if I was a briton.
“The government has not done well in my case . I’m not happy. I don’t know if Buhari doesn’t watch TV or even don’t know what is going on. Or is it the Minister that faiyl to approach the President, he should approach him , he’s the President, he is a human being. He should approach him if things like this happens .
“The ex-internationals have been neglected, it’s not just about me . Everyone of us . Now they say they are giving us houses after 27years , and you expect us to jump up and clap, twenty seven years ago.
Let’s face the fact , I’m not insulting anyone but I am very, very disappointed. Very disappointed.
“I have trained ,if not thirty or forty players from here. Bayelsa government gave me fifty thousand dollars,that’s my money,that I used to take players like Mikel and all the rest to training tour, that was my money. If I didn’t do that,where will try these guys be today. Where will they be?”
Siasia said he was more pained that his mates and colleagues never called to ask after his wellbeing following the unjustified FIFA trial that failed to give fair here.
He regrets that the global football body that preach fair play failed to play fair in his case considering that he was investigated for just three months and slammed a life ban.
“Most painful moment is when your colleagues who you played with never called you to know what happened”,
He equally lamented that he was excluded from the legend game that was arranged to support footballers in retirement and wondered what that has got to do with FIFA.
According to him if the Nigerian government had shown interest in the matter FIFA would have been circumspect before slamming him with a sledge hammer.
“People ask where I kept my money , I invested in human beings. I have done something for their good, that’s my investment. What else can you do as an individual that has played for his country and trained so many players. I think I have done the bit I did for Nigeria and I am not happy at all. It pains me .
‘How can I fight FIFA, I don’t have that kind of money. But if Nigerian government was involved,that will shake FIFA and make them to do the right thing. Up till today, I didn’t share, I didn’t take bribe , why should be banned for even five years ” he added
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