The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has launched a formal complaint to Fifa following their World Cup play-off defeat against DR Congo. Nigeria alleges that their opponents committed “fraud” by fielding players who were ineligible under local statutes. The Super Eagles hope this legal challenge will revive their dreams of participating in the 2026 tournament in North America.
The dispute focuses on players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, who recently switched international allegiance. The NFF argues that because Congolese law forbids dual citizenship, these players could not legally represent the nation. General secretary Mohammed Sanusi stated: “The Congolese rule (law) says you cannot have dual nationality, but some of their players have European and French passports.”
DR Congo’s football federation (Fecofa) has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as an attempt to bypass the results on the pitch. They maintain that all administrative processes for player switches were handled correctly through Fifa’s official channels. Fecofa countered the claims via social media, stating that: “The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence.”
Fifa’s regulations allow for nationality switches provided specific criteria are met and approved by their Players Status Committee. While Fifa permits holding multiple passports, the NFF contends that the discrepancy with Congolese domestic law constitutes a breach. Sanusi added: “Our contention is that Fifa was deceived into clearing them… There is what we consider to be a breach.”
If Fifa finds merit in Nigeria’s claim, outcomes could range from simple fines to the forfeiture of the match. Precedents exist where teams were docked points for fielding ineligible players, though DR Congo remains confident. Fecofa has labeled the petition a “lawyers’ trick,” insisting that Nigeria should accept the defeat rather than attempting to “win via the back door.”