FIFA Turns Down Nigerian Football Federation's Appeal Regarding DR Congo Matchup in 2026 World Cup

The Nigeria Football Federation's petition to FIFA, which questioned the eligibility of certain players fielded by the Democratic Republic of Congo in their 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off match, has been dismissed by the governing body.

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This decision comes after Nigeria's loss to DR Congo in the play-off match held in Rabat, Morocco, last November, which ended 4-3 in favor of DR Congo on penalties after the teams were tied 1-1 following regulation and extra time.

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The NFF had lodged a formal protest, alleging that there were irregularities in the issuance of passports that qualified some DR Congo players for the fixture, but the FIFA Disciplinary Committee rejected the petition and upheld DR Congo's qualification to the next stage of the inter-confederation play-offs.

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NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi confirmed the decision on Tuesday, stating that the federation is dissatisfied with the ruling and has begun the process of appealing it.

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According to Sanusi, the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision, aiming to challenge FIFA's verdict and potentially revisit the outcome of the play-off tie.

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The appeal process is now underway, with Nigeria seeking to overturn the decision and alter the course of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification process.

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Meanwhile, DR Congo, having progressed past Nigeria, will face the winner of the play-off between Jamaica and New Caledonia for one of the final spots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.

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The Congolese team is set to travel to Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico to compete in the inter-confederation play-offs, where they will be joined by five other nations vying for the remaining two qualification places.