Related Post
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been unexpectedly reignited following a formal petition submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to FIFA over alleged player eligibility breaches by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles were eliminated from the African playoffs in November after losing to DR Congo on penalties in the final. That defeat appeared to end Nigeria’s qualification campaign after they had already missed out on automatic qualification by finishing second behind South Africa in their group.
However, fresh concerns have emerged regarding the eligibility of several Congolese players who featured in the playoff final.
Reports suggest that up to six players may not have completed the required nationality switch process, with allegations centred on Congolese law, which does not allow dual citizenship.
Confirming the petition, NFF Secretary General Dr Mohammed Sanusi said: “We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have a dual citizenship or nationality. Wan-Bissaka has a European passport; there are some of them that have French passports, some of them Dutch passports. The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition.”
Sanusi added that while FIFA had cleared the players, Nigeria believes the clearance may have been based on misleading information submitted by DR Congo, describing the process as “fraudulent”.
FIFA will now assess the case and determine whether DR Congo breached eligibility rules. If Nigeria’s petition is upheld, the Super Eagles could replace DR Congo in the intercontinental playoffs scheduled for March 2026, reopening a route to the World Cup that once appeared closed.
