African football analyst Mamadou Gaye has told Super Eagles supporters to stay calm and trust the process as Nigeria continue to wait on FIFA’s ruling over their eligibility protest against DR Congo, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria lost 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in Rabat last November, which ended their hopes of reaching the intercontinental play-offs for the 2026 World Cup.
The NFF filed a formal complaint with FIFA on December 15, arguing that the Leopards fielded players whose nationality switch process was still incomplete at the time of the game.
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As reported earlier, former Manchester United defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were among those named.
Gaye’s take
Gaye, who was speaking on SuperSport’s Soccer Africa, quoted by Pulse Sports, pointed to the case of Bafana Bafana as a reason to be patient.
South Africa were docked three points during the 2026 qualifying campaign after FIFA found that they had fielded Teboho Mokoena, who was ineligible. That decision came very close to the final matchday, showing that FIFA is not in any rush to rule.
Nigeria’s situation, he suggested, could follow a similar path.
“FIFA are still considering the appeal. Everybody is waiting for the final whistle of FIFA. If you are not happy with FIFA, you go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” he said.
He also took a moment to remind people of the quality Nigeria has at their disposal, should they eventually get their chance.
“Nigeria can line up three national teams, what is the problem? All of them are big names playing in Europe,” he added.
The international window opens in mid-March, and the NFF have already arranged friendlies against Jordan and Iran to keep the squad ticking over.
FIFA has given no timeline for a verdict, and the NFF itself has warned fans to ignore any reports claiming a decision has already been made.
