Official: FIFA rejects Nigeria’s petition against DR Congo, NFF fires appeal

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has suffered a major setback after FIFA rejected its protest against Democratic Republic of Congo over alleged use of ineligible players, Afrik-Foot reports.

However, country’s football authority has made it clear that the fight is not over, as it has already begun the process of appealing the decision.

The controversy stems from a crucial 2026 World Cup playoff match between the Super Eagles and DR Congo, played in Rabat, Morocco, at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium. That match ended 1-1 after normal time and extra time, before DR Congo triumphed in a sudden-death penalty shootout.

Following the defeat, the NFF submitted a petition to FIFA, claiming that DR Congo had fielded players who were not eligible to represent the country. The Nigerian body based its complaint on what it described as irregularities and possible fraud in the issuance of passports used by some Congolese players.

The expectation from the NFF was that, if proven, the result of the match could be overturned. In such a case, Nigeria could have been awarded a 3-0 walkover victory, which would significantly boost their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has now reviewed the case and decided to reject the petition. This means that, for now, the original result stands, and DR Congo remain in the stronger position regarding qualification.

The decision is a huge blow to Nigeria’s ambitions, as it closes one major pathway to reaching the tournament. It also suggests that FIFA did not find enough evidence to support the claims made by the NFF regarding player eligibility.

Nigeria’s FF launches appeal as last-ditch effort

Despite the disappointment, the NFF has moved quickly to challenge FIFA’s ruling. The federation has confirmed that it has already started the appeal process, describing it as a final attempt to keep Nigeria’s World Cup hopes alive.

In an official statement, the NFF made its position very clear and expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the initial ruling.

“The Nigeria Football Federation has already commenced the process of appealing the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which rejected its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo on the issue of eligibility of some players used by that country in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Playoff match against Nigeria in Rabat, Morocco on 16th November 2025,” said NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.

“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.”

This appeal is now seen as Nigeria’s last realistic chance to overturn the situation. If the appeal is successful, FIFA could still reverse the match result and award Nigeria a win, which would dramatically change the qualification picture.

However, if the appeal fails, it would effectively end Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup through this route, confirming their elimination.