Nigeria Pushes for 2026 World Cup Spot, Petitions FIFA Over DR Congo’s 'Ineligible' Players
- The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has lodged an official complaint with FIFA over the alleged use of ineligible players by DR Congo
- The Democratic Republic of Congo beat Nigeria in the African play-off final to secure a place in the intercontinental play-off
- FIFA is now reviewing the petition, a process that could lead to DR Congo’s disqualification and potentially reopen Nigeria’s slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup
- CAF-accredited sports journalist argues that Nigeria might have a case, but the ultimate interpretation of the law lies in the bosom of DR Congo
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has formally filed a complaint with FIFA regarding the eligibility of six players who represented the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the 2026 World Cup African play-off.
This comes after Nigeria’s heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to DR Congo on November 16, 2025, which dashed their hopes of reaching the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria petitions FIFA over Congo's ineligible players
NFF General Secretary Dr Mohamed Sanusi confirmed that the federation has taken formal steps to contest the participation of certain Congolese players, arguing they may have violated FIFA’s strict regulations on national team switches.
Central to the dispute is DR Congo’s constitutional ban on dual nationality, which only allows citizens born abroad to hold multiple passports if they choose between them by the age of 21.
The NFF alleges that some of the DR Congo players, including those possessing European passports such as French or Dutch, failed to renounce their former citizenship before representing the African nation.
This, according to Nigeria, should render them ineligible under both Congolese law and FIFA’s nationality rules.
Speaking to The Guardian, Dr. Sanusi said, “We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have a dual citizenship or nationality. [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka has a European passport; there are some of them that have French passports, some of them Dutch passports. The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition.”
He further expressed concerns about FIFA’s clearance of these players, adding,
“FIFA rules say once you have passports of your country, you’re eligible... But right now, our concern is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. It is not the responsibility of FIFA to ensure that the regulations of Congo are followed... What we are saying is that it was fraudulent.”
Source: Getty Images
The matter now lies with FIFA, which will thoroughly investigate the claims.
Should the allegations be upheld, Nigeria could be reinstated and advance to the Intercontinental Play-offs scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico, provided those fixtures have not yet taken place.
For Nigeria, which could equal Ghana's AFCON title count at this year's championship, hope remains alive as the final chapter of this qualification saga unfolds.
DR Congo wins this case, journalist says
CAF-accredited sports journalist Stephen Zando of Luv FM has weighed in on Nigeria’s controversial petition to FIFA, sharing his views with YEN.com.gh. He said:
“While Nigeria appears to have a strong case on paper and has done well to draw FIFA’s attention through a carefully prepared petition, I am concerned that the final interpretation of Congolese citizenship laws rests with their government.
"As expected, they could rely on special dispensation in this case, which would effectively render Nigeria’s argument null and void. That said, if Nigeria were to prevail, it would be great to see them at the 2026 World Cup. However, in my view, DR Congo is likely to win this case convincingly.”
Nigeria tipped to win 2058 World Cup
In a separate report, YEN.com.gh highlighted a bold prediction forecasting Nigeria as the FIFA World Cup winners in 2058, marking a historic milestone.
Since the tournament’s inception in 1930, no African team has reached the World Cup final, with Morocco’s 2022 semi-final run remaining the continent’s best performance to date.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
