The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Monday, said that it was “shocked” by FIFA’s decision to impose a life ban on the former national coach, Samson Siasia and vowed to overturn it.
FIFA says it banned Siasia, 52, from football, following a long-running investigation into convicted match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal.
After his arrest, Perumal collaborated with investigators.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee found Siasia “guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”
Acting NFF president Seyi Akinwunmi said in a statement, that the FIFA report had been given to the body’s lawyers “to study and provide legal advice to the federation,” he said, adding that Siasia “gave his all for Nigeria.”
The statement added: “The NFF was shocked to learn of the investigation and the subsequent decision by the FIFA Ethics Committee (Adjudicatory Chamber) placing a life ban on Mr. Samson Siasia.
“He is a football legend but most importantly he is a Nigerian.
“We respect the FIFA processes. The least we as a Federation can do is empathize with him at this time make ourselves available to him and hope that in some way he is able to clear his name.”