Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo are now locked in a fierce off-field battle that could change Africa’s final road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. What looked like a settled football result has turned into a legal and political storm, with emotions running high, accusations flying, and FIFA holding the final decision.
On November 16 in Morocco, Nigeria and DR Congo played out a tense 1–1 draw in the African World Cup play-off final. After extra time, the match went to penalties, where DR Congo emerged victorious. That win earned them a place in the intercontinental play-off in March, where they will face a South American team for one of the last two tickets to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
For many fans, the story should have ended there. But Nigeria is not ready to let go.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially submitted a complaint to FIFA, hoping to revive the Super Eagles’ chances of reaching the World Cup. At the center of the complaint is a serious allegation: Nigeria claims DR Congo fielded ineligible players in the decisive match.
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Nigeria’s petition focuses on players who recently switched their international allegiance to DR Congo. Among the names mentioned are Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, both of whom featured in the match in Morocco.
According to the NFF, these players should not have been allowed to represent DR Congo because Congolese law does not recognize dual citizenship. Nigeria argues that holding European or French passports while playing for DR Congo violates national law, even if FIFA approved the switch.
Speaking strongly on the issue, NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said: “Our contention is that Fifa was deceived into clearing them.”
He went further, adding: “The Congolese rule (law) says you cannot have dual nationality, but some of their players have European and French passports.”
Sanusi insisted that this was not a minor issue but a serious breach of regulations. In his words: “There is what we consider to be a breach of (Fifa’s) regulations. We are saying it was fraudulent.”
The NFF says it has already submitted documents and legal arguments to FIFA to support its case. Nigeria believes that if FIFA takes Congolese national law into account, the clearance of these players could be questioned.
So far, FIFA has not made a public statement. The BBC has contacted the world football governing body and is still waiting for an official response.
On the other side, DR Congo has reacted with anger and confidence.
The Congolese Football Federation, known as Fecofa, has completely rejected Nigeria’s challenge. They insist that all players were properly cleared and that FIFA followed its procedures before approving the nationality switches.
Fecofa has described Nigeria’s complaint as an attempt to overturn the result outside the pitch. In a strong message posted on the Leopards’ official social media accounts, the federation said: “The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence. Not with lawyers’ tricks.”
The same message went even further, calling Nigeria “bad losers” and accusing them of poor sportsmanship.
At the heart of this dispute is a complex clash between FIFA rules and national laws.
Under FIFA statutes, a player is allowed to change the national team they represent only once. The process requires a written and justified request, which must be approved by FIFA’s Players Status Committee.
FIFA rules also require a player to hold a valid passport for the country they want to represent. However, FIFA does allow players to hold more than one passport at the same time.
This is where Nigeria’s argument becomes sensitive. While FIFA allows dual passports, Congolese law does not recognize dual nationality. Nigeria claims this contradiction should make the players ineligible.
If FIFA officially reviews the protest, several outcomes are possible.
FIFA could dismiss the complaint entirely if it finds Nigeria’s evidence weak or irrelevant. In that case, DR Congo’s qualification would remain unchanged.
Another option is an investigation that leads to administrative sanctions. FIFA could issue fines or warnings to the federation if it finds problems in the clearance process, while still keeping the match result intact.
The most dramatic outcome would be sporting sanctions. In very serious cases, FIFA or the Confederation of African Football (CAF) could order a forfeit, award the match to Nigeria, or impose other sporting penalties. This usually happens only when there is clear falsification or deliberate misrepresentation.
There are recent precedents that Nigeria may be relying on.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, FIFA deducted six points from Equatorial Guinea after captain Emilio Nsue was ruled ineligible due to previous appearances for Spain’s youth teams. Although the decision was later reversed, Equatorial Guinea never got their points back.
South Africa also suffered a painful ruling when their qualifying win against Lesotho was overturned. Lesotho were awarded a 3–0 victory because South Africa fielded a suspended player.
These cases show that FIFA can act strongly when player eligibility rules are broken.
For now, African football waits. Nigeria hopes for a second chance at the World Cup. DR Congo insists their victory was fair and earned on the pitch.
As FIFA studies the documents, Africa’s final World Cup ticket hangs in the balance. One decision could change history, redraw qualification paths, and leave either joy or heartbreak behind.
