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Four months after the tense 2026 World Cup African play-off between Nigeria and DR Congo, world football governing body FIFA has imposed disciplinary sanctions on both countries over incidents that occurred during the match, Footynaija reports.
The fixture, played in Morocco on 16 November 2025, ended in heartbreak for Nigeria after DR Congo triumphed 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to move on to the intercontinental play-offs in the qualification race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In its latest disciplinary update for World Cup qualifying matches, FIFA confirmed that both football associations were found guilty of separate breaches of the organisation’s disciplinary code.
The Nigeria Football Federation was fined 1,000 Swiss francs after spectators were reported to have thrown objects during the match. FIFA ruled that the incident breached provisions relating to order and security at games.
Meanwhile, the DR Congo Football Federation received a heavier penalty of 5,000 Swiss francs. The sanction followed reports that supporters used laser pointers or similar electronic devices during the encounter, behaviour banned under FIFA’s rules because it can distract players and officials.
The decision comes while a separate dispute involving the match remains unresolved. Nigeria has already lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, claiming that DR Congo may have fielded players whose nationality switches were approved only shortly before the decisive play-off.
According to the protest filed in December 2025, Nigeria questioned the eligibility of several foreign-born players who featured in the match, including those who had previously represented other countries at youth level before switching allegiance to DR Congo.
While FIFA has yet to announce a verdict on that complaint, DR Congo continue to prepare for the intercontinental stage of the qualification process. They are scheduled to face the winner of the semi-final between New Caledonia national football team and Jamaica national football team later this month for a place at the tournament.
FIFA said disciplinary rulings are made on a case-by-case basis and may still be appealed, noting that the summary released to the public is intended mainly as information for the media while the full legal decisions are communicated directly to the parties involved.
