The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has launched a formal challenge against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) over the alleged use of ineligible players during the African play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a move that could dramatically revive Nigeria’s fading qualification hopes.
DR Congo had edged the Super Eagles out of contention in November, securing a 4–3 victory via penalty shoot-out in Morocco after regulation time ended in a stalemate.
The defeat shut Nigeria out of the African route to the World Cup and appeared to confirm the country’s absence from a second consecutive global showpiece following the 2022 disappointment in Qatar.
However, the outcome of that tie is now under scrutiny.
The NFF has raised concerns over the eligibility of several Congolese players who featured in the decisive play-off, alleging that they did not fully meet the legal requirements to represent the country.
The issue centres on between six and nine DR Congo players who reportedly switched national allegiance shortly before the qualifiers.
While FIFA is said to have cleared the players on the strength of their possession of valid Congolese passports, the NFF argues that this approval may have been based on incomplete or misleading information.
According to the federation, DR Congo’s constitution does not recognise dual nationality, raising questions about whether the players in question had properly renounced their previous citizenships before donning the national colours.
A senior member of the NFF executive board confirmed that the federation has formally petitioned FIFA over the matter.
The official said, “The NFF has done the needful. The Congolese constitution does not permit dual citizenship, yet about six to nine players who featured in that play-off still held foreign nationalities. That is the loophole we are exploring, and our legal team has submitted the relevant documents to FIFA.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, also confirmed that the federation has challenged the legality of the players’ switch.
Sanusi said, “We are waiting for FIFA’s response. Congolese law is very clear: you cannot have dual citizenship. Some of the players involved have European passports—French, Dutch, and others. Our petition has been duly submitted.”
Sanusi explained that while FIFA regulations generally recognise eligibility based on possession of a valid national passport, the NFF believes the world football body was misled during the clearance process.
He said, “FIFA acts on documents presented to it; it is not responsible for enforcing a country’s domestic laws. Our position is that FIFA was deceived into clearing these players. The process, as far as we are concerned, was fraudulent.”
The challenge casts a shadow over DR Congo’s current position in the qualifiers.
The Central African nation has already been handed a bye into the final of the intercontinental play-off tournament, where they are due to face the winner of the semi-final clash between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
Should FIFA uphold Nigeria’s petition, the result of the African play-off could be overturned, potentially reopening a pathway for the Super Eagles to the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
DR Congo have featured at the FIFA World Cup only once, in 1974, when the country competed under the name Zaire. Nigeria, meanwhile, is fighting to avoid the ignominy of missing back-to-back World Cups for the first time in decades.
