Former Super Eagles Coach Samson Siasia said on Thursday he had lodged an appeal against his life ban from the game by world football governing body, FIFA.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Siasia was banned for life from the game, following a match-fixing probe by FIFA. Siasia, who spoke to NAN in Abuja through his associate, Opukiri Jones-Ere, said his lawyers had submitted an appeal against the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
“Siasia has submitted his statement of appeal to CAS in Switzerland, asking the court to stop FIFA’s decision until his appeal is heard.
“He has galvanised all resources and the deserved courage to clear his name and unchain himself from the FIFA ban which hit him unexpectedly last month.
“He has also vowed to go to the end of his life to show that he is innocent,” Jones-Ere said.
On Aug. 16, FIFA said in a statement that the adjudicatory chamber of its independent ethics committee found the 51-year-old Siasia guilty. He was “guilty of having accepted that he will receive bribes in relation to manipulation of matches in violation of FIFA Code of Ethics.”