FIFA Ban: Siasia Lied, Ministry Gave Him Money, Says Dare

Provide evidence, ex- Eagles coach replies minister
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has
accused former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia of being economical
with the truth in the wake of his life ban by FIFA, The PUNCH
reports.

World football body FIFA’s life ban Siasia in 2019 for allegedly
agreeing to “receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of
matches” was on June 28 reduced to five years by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport, with the court also canceling a fine of
$50,000 imposed on him.

Siasia, in a press conference in Abuja, on Friday disclosed that
he met Dare after the ban, but alleged that “all the minister could
say was that there was no money.”

But Dare said the 53-year-old coach was given cash, adding that
details of the transactions would be made public soon.

“Siasia is not telling the truth and the ministry and the
government will come out with the facts of the cash he collected
and the efforts we made. He is not telling the truth,” Dare said in
an audio made available to The PUNCH.

Also, a statement from Dare’s media office on Tuesday said, “The
minister stayed on top of the case by pulling all strings to assist
Siasia. In addition to the governors of Edo, Delta and Lagos, he
made an appeal to the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, the Ekiti
State Governor Kayode Fayemi. In another instance, the minister
took Siasia on a visit to the then Bayelsa State Governor Seriake
Dickson to appeal for support for him.

“Siasia’s claim that government did nothing to assist him is
untrue, deceitful, and misleading. While there are no budgetary
provisions for such incidents, the ministry and the Office of the
Minister gave Siasia all the support that led to the mitigation of
his life ban from football-related activities.”

Reacting to Dare’s claim, Siasia, who coached the U-23 team to
Olympic silver and bronze wins, challenged the sports minister to
provide evidence that he collected money from the ministry and the
government.

Siasia said, “If he (Dare) has any proof of how they (the
government) helped me, they should bring it out, I’m not running
away. It’s not a problem. I said the government didn’t help me. I
met with him (Dare), he’s a nice guy and he was trying to help but
he could not. What did I say that was bad there?

“I met him a week after he assumed office and he said they
didn’t have money, so I went to Femi Adesina (Special Adviser to
the President on Media and Publicity) and he sent me back to the
sports minister.

“I told Adesina that I came to see the President (Major General
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)), to see if he could talk to Dare to help
me, but he said I should go back to the minister.

“I have letters to that effect. I’m not saying he (Dare) did not
do his best, I only said he could not help me because he just
assumed office.

“If he has any proof that the Federal Government helped me, they
should bring it out. Nobody is hiding anything here. I’m just
disappointed they did not do anything. Private sector and some
governors did, but ask Dare what did the FG do for me?

“He made effort to talk to people and that was it. Through him,
I texted someone and he gave me money. Maybe that’s the help he is
talking about. But it is not the government but an individual. I
have nothing against the minister, but if he has proof of where the
government gave me money, he should come out with it.”

Provide evidence, ex- Eagles coach replies minister
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has
accused former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia of being economical
with the truth in the wake of his life ban by FIFA, The PUNCH
reports.

World football body FIFA’s life ban Siasia in 2019 for allegedly
agreeing to “receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of
matches” was on June 28 reduced to five years by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport, with the court also canceling a fine of
$50,000 imposed on him.

Siasia, in a press conference in Abuja, on Friday disclosed that
he met Dare after the ban, but alleged that “all the minister could
say was that there was no money.”

But Dare said the 53-year-old coach was given cash, adding that
details of the transactions would be made public soon.

“Siasia is not telling the truth and the ministry and the
government will come out with the facts of the cash he collected
and the efforts we made. He is not telling the truth,” Dare said in
an audio made available to The PUNCH.

Also, a statement from Dare’s media office on Tuesday said, “The
minister stayed on top of the case by pulling all strings to assist
Siasia. In addition to the governors of Edo, Delta and Lagos, he
made an appeal to the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, the Ekiti
State Governor Kayode Fayemi. In another instance, the minister
took Siasia on a visit to the then Bayelsa State Governor Seriake
Dickson to appeal for support for him.

“Siasia’s claim that government did nothing to assist him is
untrue, deceitful, and misleading. While there are no budgetary
provisions for such incidents, the ministry and the Office of the
Minister gave Siasia all the support that led to the mitigation of
his life ban from football-related activities.”

Reacting to Dare’s claim, Siasia, who coached the U-23 team to
Olympic silver and bronze wins, challenged the sports minister to
provide evidence that he collected money from the ministry and the
government.

Siasia said, “If he (Dare) has any proof of how they (the
government) helped me, they should bring it out, I’m not running
away. It’s not a problem. I said the government didn’t help me. I
met with him (Dare), he’s a nice guy and he was trying to help but
he could not. What did I say that was bad there?

“I met him a week after he assumed office and he said they
didn’t have money, so I went to Femi Adesina (Special Adviser to
the President on Media and Publicity) and he sent me back to the
sports minister.

“I told Adesina that I came to see the President (Major General
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)), to see if he could talk to Dare to help
me, but he said I should go back to the minister.

“I have letters to that effect. I’m not saying he (Dare) did not
do his best, I only said he could not help me because he just
assumed office.

“If he has any proof that the Federal Government helped me, they
should bring it out. Nobody is hiding anything here. I’m just
disappointed they did not do anything. Private sector and some
governors did, but ask Dare what did the FG do for me?

“He made effort to talk to people and that was it. Through him,
I texted someone and he gave me money. Maybe that’s the help he is
talking about. But it is not the government but an individual. I
have nothing against the minister, but if he has proof of where the
government gave me money, he should come out with it.”