Nigeria have taken their World Cup heartbreak off the pitch and into FIFA’s disciplinary chambers, filing a formal protest alleging the Democratic Republic of Congo fielded ineligible players during their decisive African qualification playoff.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed it has petitioned FIFA over DR Congo’s use of several dual-nationality players in last month’s playoff final, which the Congolese side won on penalties to keep alive their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup in North America.
That defeat ended Nigeria’s direct qualification route, sending DR Congo to the inter-confederation playoffs in March, where six teams will compete for the final two places at the expanded 48-team finals.
At the heart of Nigeria’s complaint is an argument that goes beyond FIFA statutes and into domestic law.
The NFF contends that multiple DR Congo players were cleared by FIFA despite allegedly failing to meet Congolese nationality requirements, which, according to Nigerian officials, do not permit dual citizenship.
“The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual nationality,” NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi told reporters. “There are so many of them that have European passports – French, Dutch and others.
“FIFA regulations say once you have the passport of your country, you are eligible. As far as FIFA is concerned, they are eligible, and that is why they were cleared.
“But our contention is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. It is not FIFA’s responsibility to enforce Congolese law – FIFA relies on what is presented to it. We are saying what was presented was fraudulent.”
Nigeria’s petition alleges that between six and nine players, many of them Europe-based and born or raised abroad, retained foreign passports despite representing DR Congo.
Under Congolese law, Nigeria argues, players must renounce other citizenships to hold full nationality, a step it claims was not taken.
Several of those players featured prominently in the playoff campaign, including the final, which ended 1-1 before DR Congo prevailed 4-3 in the penalty shootout.
The victory marked a historic moment for the Leopards, who have not appeared at a World Cup since 1974.
DR Congo’s football federation, Fecofa, swiftly rejected the allegations, accusing Nigeria of attempting to overturn a result they failed to win on the field.
“If you cannot win on the pitch, then do not try to win from the back door,” Fecofa said in a social media statement. “The World Cup has to be played with dignity and confidence – not with lawyers’ tricks. Bring it on.”
Fecofa insists all players were properly vetted and approved by FIFA in advance, stressing that FIFA regulations – not national citizenship laws – govern eligibility in international football.
The federation has indicated it submitted all required documentation and says it has nothing to fear from the review.
FIFA did not immediately comment on the case, which is now before its disciplinary bodies.
No timeline has been announced for a ruling, though similar eligibility cases have taken weeks or months to resolve.
The stakes are significant.
If FIFA were to uphold Nigeria’s protest, potential outcomes range from fines or warnings to forfeited matches or even disqualification – though retroactive changes to knockout results are rare unless clear fraud is established.
Nigeria could theoretically be reinstated into the qualification pathway, but FIFA could also opt to order a replay or leave the results intact.
The dispute also highlights a long-running fault line in African football, where national citizenship laws sometimes clash with FIFA’s global eligibility framework and the widespread use of diaspora players.
Several African teams, including DR Congo, Morocco and Senegal, have built competitive squads by drawing on players developed in Europe.
