The Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed it is moving forward with an appeal against FIFA’s rejection of its complaint regarding the eligibility of certain players fielded by the Democratic Republic of Congo in last November’s 2026 World Cup play-off in Rabat, Morocco.
Nigeria lost the match 4-3 on penalties but had challenged the participation of some DR Congo players, alleging that fraudulent passports had been used to qualify them for the game.
Following months of deliberation, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee dismissed Nigeria’s petition. Reacting to the ruling, NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi said the federation had promptly begun the appeals process.
“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition. I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision,” he stated on Tuesday.
DR Congo is scheduled to face the winner of the play-off between Jamaica and New Caledonia, with a spot in the 2026 World Cup at stake.
