World soccer body FIFA has handed a life ban to former Nigeria national team head coach Samson Siasia for accepting bribes in relation to the manipulation of international matches.
FIFA said in a statement on Friday that the adjudicatory chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee had also fined the former official 50,000 Swiss francs ($51,000).
“The formal ethics proceedings against Mr Siasia stem from an extensive investigation into matches that Mr Wilson Raj Perumal attempted to manipulate for betting purposes,” said FIFA.
The world football governing body added that the proceedings were initiated in February 2019 and that the investigations were conducted via its competent departments and with the cooperation of relevant stakeholders and authorities.
The ban on Siasia covers all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at national and international level and came into force on Monday.
The long-running investigation into convicted Singapore-based match-fixer Perumal’s activities have already produced life bans for players and former officials.
Former Botswana Football Association (BFA) general secretary, Mooketsi ‘Tosh’ Kgotlele was banned from soccer-related activities earlier last month for accepting bribes to manipulate an international friendly.
Togolese Football Association official Kokou Hougnimon Fagla, who was also a referee, was banned from soccer-related activities last March for similar offences.
Three African current and former players were banned for life in April.
FIFA named them at the time as Ibrahim Kargbo (Sierra Leone), Hellings Mwakasungula (Malawi) and Seidath Tchomogo (Benin).
Perumal was given a two-year jail sentence by a Finnish court in 2011 for bribing players and referees to fix matches.
