Salisu Yusuf banned from all football related activities

Salisu Yusuf, has been banned from all football-related activities in Nigeria for one year, after he was caught on tape accepting cash to pick players in his WAFU team squad.

The video was recorded in Ghana during the WAFU Championship by Ghanaian reporter, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

Nigeria finished as runners up to eventual winners Ghana, after losing 4-1 in the final.

Yusuf faced the Ethics Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after he returned from London, where he was undergoing surgery when the documentary was aired on the BBC network last month.

OwnGoalNigeria reports that a decision has now been reached and the coach will not participate in anything related to football for another 12 months, casting doubts over his role with the Nigeria men’s Olympic team.

It is expected that his role with the U23s as head coach will also be affected.

Before facing the NFF committee Salisu Yusuf said he neither asked for the money nor did he promise the agents he would pick the players because of the cash they gave him.

“There is nothing in the allegation pointing to a demand for the money from the agents of the two principals. Rather, the agent only handed the money to me after expressing ‘hope’ that the principals would play in the Championship.

“Be that as it may, I did accept cash handed to me by one of the said football agents, which I later discovered, upon checking, to be $750 and not $1000. Nonetheless, my understanding of the FIFA and NFF Codes of Ethics, particularly Sections 20 of the said codes, is that, gifts of any kind could be accepted by persons bound by the codes which are: of symbolic or trivial value; exclude any influence for the execution or omission on an act that is related to one’s official activities or fall within one’s discretion; are not contrary to one’s duties; do not create any undue pecuniary or other advantage and do not create a conflict of interest,” the coach defended.