Ten days after reports claimed FIFA dismissed Nigeria's protest over DR Congo players' eligibility in the 2026 World Cup African playoff, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) refuted those claims. Secretary General Dr Mohammed Sanusi said no official decision has been received, with the matter still under review.
In an update to the ongoing Nigeria-DR Congo 2026 World Cup eligibility dispute, NFF Secretary General Dr Mohammed Sanusi dismissed media speculation during an AIT interview that FIFA had rejected the federation's petition. "The NFF has not received any letter from FIFA saying they have thrown away our petition. We have checked our emails, and there was no letter from FIFA," Sanusi stated, challenging sources of the reports to produce evidence.
The petition targets players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, who possess European passports. The NFF contends these violate Congolese law on dual nationality, accusing DR Congo of deceiving FIFA during clearance. This follows unconfirmed December 18 reports of FIFA's dismissal, which would have upheld DR Congo's penalty shootout victory.
DR Congo's Fecofa previously labeled the complaint 'lawyer tricks' by 'bad losers.' Under FIFA rules, eligibility protests can trigger investigations or sanctions. The NFF awaits an official response, which could potentially reopen Nigeria's qualification path to the 2026 tournament.