Former Nigeria Coach Siasia’s FIFA Ban Appeal Moved to 2021

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has once again shifted the hearing in the appeal filed by former Super Eagles Head Coach Samson Siasia against FIFA to February 3, 2021.

Siasia who did not leave his Abuja home for the hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland told THISDAY that CAS informed him that the hearing listed for Tuesday, October 6, 2020, cannot proceed due to the recent spike in the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe.

“This hearing has been shifted again to February 3, next year. They (CAS) told me the postponement is as a result of the Covid-19 that has taken another upward swing in Europe,” Siasia told THISDAY Tuesday morning from his base in Abuja.

The new February 3, 2020 date is the third time the case will be listed for hearing since the former Nigeria star challenged the life ban slammed on him last year by FIFA for purportedly accepting to fix a match.

The case was earlier scheduled for March 19, 2020 but was postponed to October 6, 2020 due to Covid.

With the lull in the spread of the virus, most Nigerian football fans were already looking forward to the hearing of the case and the final decision that may determine the fate of Siasia as a football coach.

But CAS in the message to Siasia, cited the fresh upswing in Covid-19 cases in Europe that is threatening to cause renewed lockdowns in some cities as reason why the hearing cannot go ahead as planned.

However, the new hearing will now hold February 3 at the CAS Court Office, Avenue de Beaumont 2, 1012, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Inability of Siasia to raise the initial 100,000 Swiss franc appeal fee delayed the filing of the case. The GoFundMe appeal initiated on his behalf also failed to raise the needed money.

However, after getting over that initial hurdle, CAS wrote Siasia on December 27, 2019, inviting him and FIFA representatives and their witnesses, to appear at the hearing listed for at 9.30 hours Swiss time on March 19.

FIFA shocked Nigerian football fans August last year when a life ban from all football activities was slammed on Siasia.

In addition, a fine of 50,000 Swiss franc was also slammed on the Nigerian gaffer who was not even aware he was under investigation for allegedly violating FIFA ethical code as the messages sent to his official email were not read by him.

There were reports of the Nigerian coach having correspondence with notorious Asian match fixer, Raj Peruval, a claim Siasia insisted never went beyond offer of a job opportunity in Australia which never materialized.

It wass in his bid to prove his innocence that Siasia approached CAS, which is the final arbiter on sports disputes globally to adjudicate on such matters.

Follow us on: