Former Nigeria coach Samson Siasia has reiterated that he will challenge the ban placed on him by World Football Governing body, FIFA because he is innocent.
Samson Siasia on Friday, August 16Â was banned for life and fined $50,000 by FIFA for agreeing to 'the manipulation of matches.'
In a statement, Siasia was found 'guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches.'
The sanction stems from an ongoing 'large-scale investigation' FIFA is conducting into the behaviour of Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted match-fixer from Singapore.
However, Siasia who had spells with the Super Eagles in 2010-2011 and 2016 has disclosed that the ban came to him as a shock because at no time was he interrogated by FIFA or any of his agents regarding a match-fixing or bribery as contained in the FIFA statement.
“I am innocent of the claims by FIFA, and I will challenge it to the highest level. Nobody told me of any investigation and I don’t have any dealings with Wilson Raj Perumal who was investigated for betting by FIFA as claimed by FIFA," he told Completesports.com
"This is character assassination and I cannot allow it to just go unchallenged. I must get Justice because I am innocent. I don’t know where this came from, somebody must be out there trying to ruin me but God will vindicate meâ€Â
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