FIFA has won the dismissal of a lawsuit by former Nigeria coach, Samson Siasia in a New York court, after Siasia challenged his match-fixing ban.
TIdesports source repots that Siasia who was a striker for Nigeria’s national team before turning to coaching, now lives in Atlanta.
His challenge to FIFA’s lifetime ban, which was later reduced to five years after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, claimed it was a violation of his rights under the United States. Constitution, federal civil rights law and state law.
He said the case against him was based on “grossly insufficient evidence” consisting exclusively of emails that were “never explained”, and which he was never allowed to cross-examine.
U.S. District Judge, Alvin Hellerstein ruled that Siasia had “no conceivable basis” to exercise jurisdiction in Manhattan federal court because the dispute took place outside the United States and was decided under Swiss law.
In June, the Court of Arbitration for Sports shortened Siasia’s ban and lifted his 50,000 Swiss franc ($54,585) fine, calling the lifetime ban too severe for a first offence.
Siasia’s life ban for bribery related to match-fixing had been reduced to five years in June by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which argued he did not profit from his misdemeanor.
CAS ruled that the ban, imposed by FIFA in April 2019 after Siasia was found guilty of agreeing to join a match-fixing ring masterminded by notorious Singaporean, Wilson Perumal nine years earlier, was “disproportionate”.
Siasia was caught after a wider investigation involving Perumal, who confessed to international match-fixing. He was initially banned for agreeing to “receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.”