The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that it has launched an investigation into DR Congo’s alleged use of ineligible players during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a move that could potentially reopen Nigeria’s path to the global tournament.
Nigeria were knocked out of the African play-offs in November after losing 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo in Morocco, a defeat that ended the Super Eagles’ hopes of advancing to the FIFA intercontinental play-off.
Following that victory, DR Congo were granted a bye into the final of the intercontinental play-off tournament, where they are due to face the winner of the semi-final between New Caledonia and Jamaica. However, that position may now be under threat.
The NFF raised concerns over the eligibility of several DR Congo players who featured in the African play-offs. Reports indicate that between six and nine players who switched national allegiance may not have fully complied with Congolese citizenship laws before representing the country.
While FIFA is said to have cleared the players based on their possession of valid DR Congo passports, the NFF argues that the players failed to formally renounce their previous nationalities. DR Congo’s constitution reportedly does not allow dual citizenship, which forms the basis of Nigeria’s complaint.
A senior NFF official confirmed that the federation has submitted all necessary documents to FIFA, stressing that the issue lies in domestic Congolese law rather than FIFA regulations.
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NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, also confirmed the petition, explaining that although FIFA rules recognise a player’s eligibility once a valid passport is presented, the federation believes FIFA may have been misled.
According to Sanusi, several of the players involved still hold European passports, including French, Dutch, and other nationalities, which could render their switch invalid under DR Congo’s laws.
The development has renewed hope for Nigeria, which risks missing consecutive World Cup tournaments after failing to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar. DR Congo, on the other hand, have only appeared at the World Cup once, in 1974, when the country competed under the name Zaire.
