The Nigeria Football Federation has begun the process of appealing a decision by FIFA after its petition against the Democratic Republic of the Congo was rejected.
Nigeria had accused DR Congo of fielding ineligible players during their 2026 World Cup playoff clash against the Super Eagles in Rabat last year.
The match ended in a 4-3 penalty shootout victory for DR Congo after both sides were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation and extra time, securing Congo’s place as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation playoff scheduled for March 27 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
In a statement, NFF Secretary General, Mohammed Sanusi, confirmed that the federation was dissatisfied with FIFA’s ruling and had immediately initiated an appeal.
“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition. I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision,” he said.
The NFF had filed the petition days after the playoff match, alleging irregularities in the issuance of passports that made some DR Congo players eligible for the encounter.
Despite concerns among fans that FIFA might rule against Nigeria, the governing body’s decision has now confirmed those fears, prompting the federation to seek further redress.
Meanwhile, former Nigerian defender, Theodore Chukwuemeka, suggested that the NFF may have anticipated the outcome, citing the Super Eagles’ participation in a four-nation tournament in Turkey scheduled around the same period as the inter-confederation playoff.
According to him, the scheduling conflict raises questions about the federation’s expectations regarding the appeal, as Nigeria is set to face Iran on March 27 and Jordan on March 31—coinciding with the playoff fixtures in Mexico.
The appeal process is expected to determine whether Nigeria can overturn FIFA’s decision or if DR Congo’s qualification will stand.
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