World football governing body, FIFA, is yet to give a final decision on the petition filed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), accusing DR Congo of fielding ineligible players during the 2026 World Cup African play-offs held last November.
The ruling is being awaited with growing tension, especially as the intercontinental play-offs are scheduled to take place between March 26 and 31 in Mexico.
Nigeria failed to secure automatic qualification during the earlier qualifiers but progressed to the African play-offs, where the Super Eagles were knocked out by DR Congo on penalties.
On Monday, reports circulated online suggesting a possible outcome, but NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, said the federation had not received any official response from FIFA.
“We are still waiting to hear from FIFA. We are hopeful, by the grace of God,” Gusau said.
DR Congo have already been drawn to face the winner of the match between New Caledonia and Jamaica, as they push for one of the remaining World Cup tickets.
The NFF is challenging the eligibility of some DR Congo players, alleging that they did not properly complete the nationality switch process required under FIFA regulations.
Under FIFA rules, a player is allowed to change the national team they represent only once, and such a request must be submitted formally and approved by FIFA’s Players’ Status Committee.
The petition is reportedly linked to concerns over dual nationality, as Congolese law does not permit dual citizenship — an issue Nigeria believes may affect the players involved.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said the federation remains confident in its case.
“We believe that we have a chance; that is why we petitioned. If we knew we didn’t have a chance, we wouldn’t have petitioned. It is now left to FIFA to decide,” he said.
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Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi, also expressed hope that the decision could still favour Nigeria.
“We’re still waiting — hopefully we can go to the World Cup,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, noted that the matter could eventually end up at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, depending on FIFA’s final verdict.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will hold from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
