W’Cup Play-Off: NFF Loses DR Congo Petition, Appeals FIFA Verdict
The Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday said it has commenced the process of appealing the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which rejected its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo on the issue of eligibility of some players used by that country in a 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off match against Nigeria in Rabat, Morocco, last November.
After months of waiting, the NFF confirmed that it had received FIFA’s verdict but has launched an appeal.
Nigeria lost the match 4-3 on penalties, but the NFF protested the eligibility of some players in the DR Congo squad, citing perceived fraud in the issuance of passports that qualified a number of players of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the play-off.
“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,” said NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, in a statement on Tuesday.
DR Congo have been drawn to face the winner of the clash between the Jamaica national football team and New Caledonia national football team, with a place at the 2026 tournament at stake.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
