It’s no news that Nigeria has petitioned the world football governing body to look into the eligibility of some of the DR Congo players that were lined up against the Super Eagles in the final of the CAF 2026 World Cup playoffs.
Recall, Nigeria, who were deemed favourites to pick the continent’s ticket for the 2026 World Cup intercontinental playoffs, fell short of expectations.
The 2023 AFCON finalists crashed out of the competition, losing 4-3 via penalties to DR Congo after playing out a 1-1 draw with the Leopards.
For the Congolese, it was a milestone moment as they closed in on a decades-long wait for an appearance in the World Cup.
Nigeria, on the flip side, were left in the lurch to lick their cubs to form as they failed to make an appearance in the World Cup for the second time in a row – marking a new low in the country’s football.
However, it appears all hope is not lost for the Super Eagles. According to ESPN, Nigeria’s football governing body, the NFF, has lodged a complaint with FIFA, asking them to look into the eligibility of some of the Congolese players who took on the Super Eagles in the CAF 2026 World Cup playoffs final in Morocco.
According to them, several of those players failed to meet the eligibility criteria to play for DR Congo and were mistakenly cleared by FIFA.
The question is; what is FIFA’s likely decision and can Nigeria win this case to emerge as Africa’s representative in the intercontinental World Cup playoffs? Let’s get right into it.
Understanding Nigeria’s Argument
The Secretary of the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, who outlined Nigeria’s position in the complaint, stated that FIFA were deceived into clearing the affected players for the match. Based on FIFA rules, players only have to hold the passports of the countries they represent to be eligible to feature in the World Cup qualifiers.
It is understood that the said Congolese players met this requirement as they all held this passport. However, the NFF are contending that the clearance is out of order as the Congolese Constitution doesn’t recognize dual citizenship.
What is the likely outcome for this case?
The crux of the matter is whether FIFA were right to clear the players for the game when the Congolese Constitution doesn’t recognize dual citizenship which must have led to improper documentation by the Congolese football authorities. This development begs the question of whether FIFA should go all the way to enforce local laws in harmony with its operational principles.
At the moment, it’s a dicey development. However, FIFA are more likely to stick to its side of the law which requires players to only hold the passport of the country they represent rather than attempting to interpret the Congolese citizenship laws and procedures.
The table can only turn in Nigeria’s favour should they prove fraud, invalid passports or misrepresentation. But this is not likely if the passports were issued by legitimate state authorities, irrespective of the country’s local citizenship laws.
