The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that it has formally petitioned FIFA over the alleged use of ineligible players by the Democratic Republic of Congo during their CAF World Cup playoff clash, a match Nigeria lost on penalties in the race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The petition follows concerns raised by the NFF regarding the eligibility of several DR Congo players who featured in the decisive encounter. According to the federation, FIFA has since opened an investigation into the matter, a development that has revived Nigeria’s qualification hopes pending the outcome of the review.
NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi stated that FIFA may have been misled during the player clearance process by documentation submitted by the Congolese Football Association. He explained that FIFA regulations permit players to represent a country if they hold a valid passport, a criterion that was reportedly met by the players in question at the time of clearance.
However, Sanusi emphasized that the issue lies not with FIFA’s eligibility framework but with domestic legal compliance. Under Congolese law, dual citizenship is not permitted, yet the NFF alleges that some of the players involved hold multiple nationalities. According to the federation, this discrepancy raises questions about whether the players fully satisfied both national legislation and FIFA’s regulatory requirements.
“FIFA was deceived into clearing those players because it is not FIFA’s duty to interpret or enforce domestic citizenship laws,” Sanusi said, adding that the responsibility rests with national associations to submit accurate and lawful documentation.
Sources familiar with the petition indicate that the investigation may involve up to nine DR Congo players who allegedly changed nationality without completing all required legal and administrative steps. While possession of a passport is a key component of FIFA eligibility rules, the NFF maintains that it does not automatically validate a player’s status if domestic laws governing nationality have not been properly followed.
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The DR Congo Football Association has not publicly responded in detail to the allegations. FIFA has also refrained from commenting on the specifics of the ongoing investigation, in line with its standard procedures.
As the process unfolds, the case highlights the complex intersection between international football regulations and national citizenship laws. FIFA’s eventual ruling is expected to have significant implications, not only for Nigeria and DR Congo, but also for how eligibility disputes are handled in future international competitions.