BY Victor Akhidenor
Former Super Eagles defender, Sam Sodje, has thanked the press and millions of Nigerians who stood by him during his match-fixing ordeal.
On February 23, 2013, Sodje, then playing for Portsmouth, was sent off for punching Oldham Athletic’s Jose Baxter in the groin.
In December 2013, a report by The Sun on Sunday suggested that Sodje intentionally attempted to get sent off to receive a cash payment. Sodje allegedly admitted to having being paid £70,000 to be sent off in the match.
Now, Sodje, who played four games for the Super Eagles between 2005 and 2009, got a reprieve from the National Crime Agency (NCA) that had been investigating him and 12 others, following a judge’s comment in relation to the collapse of the Tulisa Contostavlos drugs trial.
Sodje, who spoke over the weekend, said he chose not to go into details about the matter but he thanked Nigerians and the sporting press for their support.
“Our journalists have been wonderful; they stood by me, and did not condemn me while the case was in court,” he said.
“I really appreciate them and I thank them for their support and kind words. I also thank millions of Nigerians for their prayers and support, they have been wonderful.”
Undercover reporter, Mazher Mahmood, also known as the ‘Fake Sheikh’s five-page article in The Sun on Sunday led to the prosecution of Sodje and others. Mahmood’s article also led to the Contostavlos drug trial.
In July 2014, Mahmood was suspended by his employer following a judge’s statement that Mahmood may have perjured himself.
Contostavlos’s case, that of Sodje and 29 others, were dropped because of accusations of perjury against their accuser, Mahmood.
With the ordeal behind him, Sodje says he is “trying to get my life going forward and be of assistance to fellow footballers”.
“I’m not ready to talk about anybody, rather I want to focus on my charity and the Sodje Foundation, which we have set up to help the youth. It was a tough experience, it affected my brothers, but I am happy that the family is free,” he said.
His career suffered during the ordeal but he’s not thinking about returning to the game, at least for now.
“I may return in January, but not now. I would also love the experience of playing outside Europe before the end of my career, but my priority now is youth empowerment, making them embrace education and giving back to the society.”
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