Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja — Football’s global governing body, FIFA, has rejected Nigeria’s appeal challenging the eligibility of several Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) players in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff, effectively ending Nigeria’s hopes of advancing in the tournament and dashing aspirations of returning to the World Cup after failing to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar. The decision was confirmed this week after Nigeria’s complaint, lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), failed to persuade FIFA that DR Congo had breached eligibility rules.
The dispute arose following DR Congo’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over the Super Eagles in the final African playoff round, a 4–3 result after a 1–1 draw that ended Nigeria’s World Cup journey. After the loss, the NFF filed a formal complaint with FIFA, arguing that several DR Congo players — including high-profile names such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Arthur Masuaku and Charles Pickel — were improperly eligible under Congolese law because DR Congo’s constitution does not permit dual citizenship, yet the players reportedly held European passports at the time they featured.
Nigeria’s appeal contended that the use of these players violated not only DR Congo’s domestic laws but also fundamental principles of sporting integrity. The campaign was seen by many Super Eagles supporters as a last-ditch effort to overturn a result that had been decided on the pitch and to secure Nigeria’s place in the upcoming intercontinental playoff, where teams from around the world compete for the final World Cup slots.
However, FIFA’s eligibility regulations differ from individual countries’ nationality laws. Under FIFA’s statutes, a player is eligible to represent a nation if they hold its passport and meet other statutory criteria — such as descent or residency — regardless of whether domestic law recognises dual citizenship. In this case, all contested players held valid Congolese passports and had been cleared by FIFA prior to the playoff fixture. The governing body’s review concluded that no breach of its own eligibility framework had occurred, leading to the dismissal of Nigeria’s appeal and reaffirming DR Congo’s qualification status.
The DR Congo Football Federation defended its selections vigorously in public, with officials dismissing Nigeria’s claims and urging focus on on-field results rather than administrative challenges. “If you can’t win on the pitch, don’t try to win from the back door,” declared Hérita Ilunga, DR Congo’s Director of Football, in response to the NFF’s case.
The outcome leaves Nigeria set to miss the 2026 World Cup in North America for the second consecutive edition, a blow to fans and stakeholders who had hoped to see the Super Eagles on football’s grandest stage once again. The DR Congo Leopards — boosted by their victory and FIFA’s ruling — will advance to the intercontinental playoff tournament in March, where six teams from around the world will compete for the final two places in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Former attempts to challenge eligibility in international football have yielded mixed results. For example, in previous qualifying campaigns involving other nations such as South Africa, FIFA has enforced disciplinary rulings when clear breaches were identified, including forfeitures of match points. But Nigeria’s case was hindered by the fact that FIFA had already cleared the contested players before their participation, significantly raising the bar for any successful protest.
The decision has prompted debate among fans, analysts and football administrators in Nigeria, with many arguing that greater clarity and consistency are needed in the application of nationality and eligibility rules to avoid similar controversies in future competitions. Meanwhile, the Super Eagles will turn their attention to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and rebuilding efforts as they look to reassert themselves at continental and global levels.
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