The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reaffirmed its position that no decision has been communicated by FIFA regarding its petition challenging the eligibility of some Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) players used in their 2026 FIFA World Cup African play-off encounter. The federation insists that the matter is still being reviewed by world football’s governing body.
Speaking on the issue, NFF Secretary General, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, stated that the federation has not received any official correspondence from FIFA concerning the status of the petition.
In an interview on Africa Independence Television(AIT) Sanusi said that “The Nigeria Football Federation submitted a petition to FIFA over the eligibility of some DR Congo players, and if there is any decision, FIFA will officially communicate it to us,
“So far, the NFF has not received any letter from FIFA indicating that our petition has been dismissed. We have checked our emails thoroughly, and there is nothing from FIFA.
“I don’t know where such information is coming from. If anyone claims FIFA has written, they should produce the letter unless they are getting unofficial information from within FIFA.” Sanusi said.
Nigeria’s petition is based on allegations that some players fielded by DR Congo during the play-off did not meet eligibility requirements under FIFA regulations and Congolese national law.
The NFF argues that certain players, including Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, should not have been cleared because Congolese law does not recognize dual citizenship.
Read the related story on New Daily Prime:World Cup boost for Nigeria as NFF probes DR Congo player eligibility probe
“Our position is that FIFA was misled into approving their eligibility,” Sanusi had earlier stated. “Congolese law does not allow dual nationality, yet some of these players hold European and French passports.
“We believe this constitutes a violation of FIFA regulations, and we consider it fraudulent.”
The NFF said it submitted relevant documents and legal arguments to back its claims and is currently awaiting FIFA’s official response
However, the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA) has dismissed Nigeria’s petition, describing it as an attempt to overturn the match result through administrative channels. In a statement shared on its official platforms, FECOFA urged Nigeria to “play the World Cup with dignity and confidence, not with lawyer tricks,” and labeled the complaint as the reaction of “bad losers.”
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