The Nigeria Football Federation has filed a formal petition against DR Congo with FIFA as the federation seeks to overturn the result of the Africa 2026 World Cup Playoffs Tournament final over use of ineligible players.
In a bid to revive Nigeria’s chances of playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America next year, the NFF accused the DR Congo of fielding players who failed to fulfill both Congolese laws and FIFA regulations in the win against Super Eagles in the playoff final last month.
The NFF is believed to have centred its petition around several foreign-born Congolese players who allegedly switched their allegiance to the Central African nation without renouncing their other citizenships, as required by the country’s constitution, which forbids dual nationalities.
As per FIFA rules, possession of a passport is core to representing a country but that alone does not automatically grant eligibility as the players involved must comply with both local and FIFA laws to fulfill the requirements, which has formed the basis of the petition filed by the NFF.
“We are waiting,” NFF general secretary, Sanusi Mohammed, told reporters while addressing the situation. “FIFA was deceived into clearing those players because it is not FIFA’s responsibility to interpret or enforce domestic citizenship laws.
He added, “DR Congo law does not permit dual citizenship, yet some of the players involved reportedly hold dual nationality. It is not FIFA’s duty to know the domestic laws of every country; that is why we formally drew FIFA’s attention to the issue, and we are now awaiting their verdict.”
Meanwhile, it is unclear whether FIFA would award Super Eagles the sole African slot to the intercontinental playoffs in Mexico next year or be required to contest in another continental qualifying match if federation is successful with its petition.
