Nigeria’s World Cup journey may yet take another turn, with FIFA reportedly set to make a decision on the Nigeria Football Federation’s petition against DR Congo before the intercontinental playoffs in March 2026.
The ruling could determine whether the Super Eagles are handed a backdoor into qualifying for the tournament in North America, despite losing the play-off final.
Nigeria’s World Cup hopes appeared over last month after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the African playoff final. That result sent the Leopards through to the intercontinental play-offs, where they are scheduled to face the winner of the New Caledonia vs Jamaica semi-final.
However, fresh developments off the pitch have kept Nigeria’s hopes alive.
According to The Standard, FIFA has opened an investigation into Nigeria’s complaint and is expected to reach a conclusion before the March play-offs, ensuring clarity on which team takes part in the decisive fixtures.
At the centre of the dispute is DR Congo’s use of several dual-nationality players during the World Cup playoff final in November.
The NFF alleges that between six and nine players may not have complied with Congolese nationality laws before representing the country.
NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi explained that DR Congo does not permit dual nationality under its domestic laws.
“The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual nationality. There are so many of them that have European passports, some French, some Dutch. The rules are very clear, and that is why we submitted our protest to FIFA.”
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