Nigeria’s prospects of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have received a potential lifeline following an official complaint by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, over the alleged use of ineligible players by the Democratic Republic of Congo during the qualifiers.
The Super Eagles were knocked out of the African play-offs in November after losing 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo in Morocco, a defeat that appeared to end Nigeria’s path to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
DR Congo subsequently secured automatic passage to the final of the intercontinental play-off, where they are slated to meet the winner of the semi-final clash between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
That position, however, is now under review after the NFF raised questions about the eligibility of several Congolese players used during the decisive play-off matches.
Sources familiar with the petition said between six and nine players who recently switched national allegiance may not have satisfied domestic legal requirements before representing DR Congo.
While FIFA reportedly approved the players after confirming they held Congolese passports, concerns have been raised that they failed to renounce previous nationalities, an alleged breach of DR Congo’s constitution, which prohibits dual citizenship.
An NFF executive board member, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the matter had been formally escalated to FIFA.
“DR Congo’s constitution does not permit dual nationality, yet a number of players fielded during the play-off were still holding other citizenships.
“That is the basis of our complaint, and our legal team has submitted the necessary documentation,” the official said.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, also acknowledged the ongoing process, insisting that Nigeria’s objection was grounded in Congolese law rather than FIFA statutes.
“We have filed our petition and we are awaiting a response,” Sanusi said. “FIFA regulations focus on passport possession, which is why the players were initially cleared.
Our position is that FIFA may have been misled because the players did not fully comply with DR Congo’s domestic laws on nationality.”
The latest development has reignited hopes that Nigeria could yet remain in contention for the 2026 World Cup, having already missed out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
DR Congo, on the other hand, have featured only once at the FIFA World Cup, making their debut in 1974 under the name Zaire.
