October 26, (THEWILL) – Remi Amadi, the coach of Cofine FC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has been banned for two years from any football-related activity by the world football governing body FIFA.
This judgement was sent to the Nigeria Football Federation by the international body’s Disciplinary Committee, and it follows a similar ban imposed on the gaffer by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Disciplinary Committee at its meeting on August 16, 2021.
As THEWILL reported in August, Amadi was slammed with a two-year ban after being found guilty of manipulating the results of a football match by the Disciplinary Committee of the NFF.
Cofine FC plays in the National Nationwide League Division One, which was formerly referred to as Nigerian Amateur League. The National Nationwide League Division One is the third level of domestic club football in Nigeria and was founded in 2001, currently operating 91 teams.
The initial NFF ban took effect from the 15th March, 2021, the date of the match-fixing, and was going to run through to March 14, 2023. It was reached by the Committee in the case brought before it for hearing as Case 2 on August 16 for match-fixing allegations levelled against the coach.
Having heard the details of the case, the NFF Committee noted that Amadi admitted to having attempted to manipulate the outcome of the result of the match between Cofine FC and Bussdor FC as recorded in an audio conversation tendered as evidence against the coach.
There was enough to prove that apart from the audio evidence against Amadi, the coach also had reason to seek a certain result from the fixture as he stood to benefit if the attempted manipulation had pulled through accordingly.
In accordance with Article 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the NFF Integrity Unit forwarded the said decision of the NFF Disciplinary Committee, along with all relevant documentation, to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee via a letter dated August 25, 2021, requesting the Committee to extend the sanction to have a worldwide effect.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee activated the global effect at its meeting on October 5, 2021.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
