Former Super Eagles Star Handed Five-Year Ban For Match-Fixing

Former Nigeria international, Dickson Etuhu has been banned from all football activities in Sweden for five years after his involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

The ex-Manchester City and Fulham midfielder, 37, was accused of offering a bribe to his former AIK Stockholm team-mate Kenny Stamatopoulos to fix a game against Gothenburg in May 2017.

The Reserve goalkeeper Stamatopoulos was reportedly offered around £180,000 by Utuhu to under-perform after an injury to the club’s first choice.

In November 2019, he was found guilty of attempting to fix a match between IFK Gothenburg and AIK in 2017. Etuhu was fined and ordered to serve a period of probation but avoided a prison sentence.

The Swedish Football Association has now taken action to ban the 37-year-old Etuhu and the former IFK Rössjöholm player Alban Jusufi for “deliberately trying to persuade an Allsvenskan player to underperform in one of their team’s matches”.

A statement from the Swedish FA read: “The Disciplinary Board has decided to suspend two people because they have deliberately tried to persuade a football player to underperform in one of the team’s matches.

“Through their actions, these people have violated the anti-match fixing regulations, and they are therefore suspended for five years.

“The ban includes training, competing or performing any assignments in any sports.”

This means he will not be allowed to play any part in football in the Scandinavian country until April 13, 2025.

Etuhu who made a name for himself in England played for Norwich, Sunderland, Manchester City, Blackburn, and Fulham.

He made the switch to AIK in Sweden in 2015 where he played for two seasons before sealing a move to IFK Rössjöholm and retiring in 2017.

Etuhu also made 33 appearances for Nigeria between 2007 and 2011.