Ex-Super Eagles Star Banned For Five-Year For Match-Fixing

Ex-Super Eagles Star Banned For Five-Year For Match-Fixing

By Editor

Former Super Eagles midfielder Dickson Etuhu has been banned from all football in Sweden for five years after his involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

Etuhu, 37, was accused of offering a bribe to his former AIK Stockholm team-mate and reserve goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos to fix a game against Gothenburg in May 2017.

Stamatopoulos was understood to have been offered around £180,000 to under-perform after an injury to the club’s No1 and flagged the approach, meaning the match was postponed.

According to Completesports.com, Etuhu denied involvement but after a lengthy investigation, he was found guilty in November 2019.

And the Swedish FA came down hard by slapping him with the five-year ban but he avoided a prison sentence.
It means Etuhu will not be allowed to play any part in football in Sweden until April 13, 2025.

Ex-striker Alban Jusufi, who retired in 2013, has also been banned.

A statement from the Swedish FA read: “The Disciplinary Board has decided to suspend two people because they have deliberately tried to persuade a football player to underperform in one of the team’s matches.

“Through their actions, these people have violated the anti-match fixing regulations, and they are therefore suspended for five years.

“The ban includes training, competing or performing any assignments in any sports.”

Etuhu started his career at Maine Road but left for Preston in 2002 after making just 13 first-team appearances.

It was at Deepdale that the Nigerian made a name for himself in England before further spells at Norwich, Sunderland, Fulham.

He helped Fulham to the final of the Europa League in 2010 where they lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid.

He made the switch to Sweden to spend the 2015 and 2016 seasons at AIK before becoming an agent.

He made his Super Eagles debut in 2007 made 33 appearances before quitting from international football in 2011.
He was was of the Super Eagles squad to the Ghana 2008 and Angola 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Also, he was included in the Eagles’ squad to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.