World Cup: Nigeria appeals after FIFA dismissed NFF protest over DR Congo players

World Cup: Nigeria appeals after FIFA dismissed NFF protest over DR Congo players

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to challenge FIFA’s ruling dismissing its protest over the eligibility of players fielded by Democratic Republic of Congo national football team during their 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff clash.

Nigeria crashed out of the playoff in Rabat, Morocco, after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat last November, but the controversy surrounding the fixture has refused to fade.

In the aftermath of the loss, the NFF lodged a formal petition with FIFA, alleging irregularities in the documentation of some Congolese players, particularly questioning the legitimacy of passports used to qualify them for the match.

However, after months of review, FIFA’s disciplinary body threw out the protest — a verdict the NFF says it will not accept without a fight.

General Secretary of the federation, Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that an appeal process had already been triggered.

“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the outcome,” Sanusi said.

“I want to assure Nigerians that we have immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.”

While Nigeria continues its legal push, DR Congo have shifted focus to the next hurdle, naming a squad for the intercontinental playoff later this month.

The Central African side will face the winner between Jamaica national football team and New Caledonia national football team, with a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at stake.

Meanwhile, both teams have also been sanctioned by FIFA over crowd misconduct during the ill-tempered playoff encounter.

Nigeria was fined 1,000 Swiss francs after its supporters were found guilty of throwing objects onto the pitch, breaching provisions of FIFA’s disciplinary code.

DR Congo, on the other hand, received a stiffer 5,000 Swiss francs penalty after their fans were caught using laser pointers during the match — an offence FIFA said violated its regulations.

Despite the disciplinary fallout and FIFA’s rejection of its protest, the NFF’s decision to appeal signals that the controversy over the playoff result is far from settled.