Nigeria’s Top Football Coach, Yusuf Salisu Reportedly Caught Taking Bribe On Camera

A recording that was captured by a controversial BBC Journalist in September 2017, which was recently made public by BBC Africa Eye reportedly shows Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Salisu Yusuf, on camera taking cash from men pretending to be football agents.

According to investigations by Ghanaian journalists Anas Aremeyaw, in September last year, reporters pretending to be football agents for some players met with Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Salisu Yusuf, to discuss about the selection of players. In the course of the discussion, they handed the Nigerian coach N360,000 ($1000) and hinted at more cash incentive if he selects their players for CHAN 2018 which held in Morocco.

In the clip, one of the reporters posing as an agent told Yusuf, “So if anything goes through and these players are able to get their contracts, you will get 15% of that contract,” and Yusuf replied; “they will be in CHAN.” And in the long run, the two players were selected for CHAN 2018.


Yusuf was in charge of Team B to the 2017 WAFU and 2018 CHAN where they lost in both finals.

However, the Nigerian coach has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he did not promise or commit to selecting any player. He also claims that he did not violate any FIFA or NFF ethics code because he never asked the reporters for money, rather the money in question was offered to him and the money he received was $750 not the $1000 claimed in the report. He also argued that the money falls within the gifts FIFA code allows, which never influenced the players' selection.

The top Nigerian coach will be facing the full rage of FIFA, CAF and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) because under the FIFA code of ethics, officials should not engage in any activity that gives rise to suspicion or collection of cash gifts.
From BBC