Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has told www.busybuddiesng.com he is yet to receive any financial support from Nigerians to enable him lodge an appeal against a FIFA-imposed life ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
The ex-Nigeria international through his lawyers, on Thursday, secured an extension to a CAS deadline of 10 October to make payment of CHF 100,000 (about N36,000,000) for his appeal to be heard.
Asked about the veracity of the situation, Siasia, who guided Nigeria’s U-23 side to Olympic bronze medal in 2016, said: “It doesn’t really matter if it is true or not because nobody has done anything to help anyone anyways. You understand?
“If they (my lawyers) didn’t ask for this extension, the life ban would have stood without any support from anyone. That’s so unfair,” the 52-year-old said.
World football governing body, Fifa in August handed Siasia a life ban from all football-related activities for accepting to receive “bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches” while he was coach of Nigeria. In addition, he was also fined CHF 50,000 (about N18,000,000)
The former Nigeria under-20 coach handled the Super Eagles twice from 2010 to 2011 and in 2016, on both occasions failing to qualify the country for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and 2017 respectively.
A member of Nigeria’s AFCON-winning squad in 1994, Siasia also played 51 times for the Super Eagles, scoring 16 goals in the process.
