The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially petitioned FIFA, raising concerns over the eligibility of certain players fielded by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) during the recent African World Cup playoffs.
DR Congo eliminated the Super Eagles on penalties, 4–3, in the playoff final, securing a place in the inter-confederation playoffs, where they will face the winner of Jamaica versus New Caledonia for a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
According to the NFF, several players who represented DR Congo were foreign-born and had only recently been cleared to play for the country. Under Congolese law, dual nationality is not recognised: children born abroad to Congolese parents may hold dual citizenship only until the age of 21, after which they are required to renounce one nationality.
NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi argued that DR Congo’s football authorities misled FIFA into granting eligibility to players whose dual citizenship violated Congolese law. “FIFA cleared the players because FIFA’s eligibility rules differ from DR Congo’s internal regulations,” he said. “But our contention is that FIFA was deceived into approving them. It was on the basis of what was presented to FIFA that the players were cleared, but we are saying it was fraudulent.”
The loss marks Nigeria’s absence from a second consecutive World Cup, following their failure to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar. The NFF’s petition is part of a strategy to challenge the result and safeguard Nigeria’s interests ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Sanusi described the DR Congo FA’s actions as “fraudulent,” insisting that the players should never have been eligible for selection under national law, despite being cleared by FIFA regulations, which focus primarily on possession of a country’s passport rather than compliance with local citizenship laws.
The NFF is now awaiting FIFA’s response, as it seeks to address what it describes as a violation of both the spirit and regulations of fair play.
