FIFA Is Not Fair To Siasia - Segun Odegbami

FIFA Is Not Fair To Siasia - Segun Odegbami

By Admin

Ex-international and former captain of the senior national football team, Chief Segun Odegbami has said that the world football governing body, FIFA, is not fair to his fellow Nigerian, Samson Siasia, who has been handed a life ban and to pay a fine of $50,000.

In a television sports programme monitored in Lagos on Tuesday, Odegbami said that the offence committed by Siasia is not enough for FIFA to descend on him.

“Siasia’s offence to the little of my knowledge is his failure to respond to an email from the world football governing.

“You can’t earn such a punishment without committing a capital offense. That sentence is akin to taking Samson’s life because football is his life, as it is for some of us too.

“Why would FIFA destroy the reputation of a former player and celebrated coach, his livelihood and his future for the ‘sin’ of an intention to commit an offense, and not for the offense itself ? Yet, even the intent is still shrouded in secrecy weeks after the verdict.

DAILY INDEPENDENT gathered that according to FIFA’s letter Siasia did not respond to two email messages sent to him to defend himself.

“Even Samson initially shouted to the world, in shocked reaction, that he did not know about the matter and was never invited to defend himself. But that was before an email correspondence surfaced on social media clearly showing that FIFA invited him, did not receive a response, decided to try him in absentia and inflicted the maximum punishment.

“The facts do not tally with the alleged offense, or the gravity of the conviction. Up till now, FIFA has not stated what happened and connected the dots to Siasia. Samson has not been accused of fixing any match, and there has not been any evidence to show that he took part in any match-fixing”, said Odegbami.