Weeks after a penalty shootout defeat in Rabat, Morocco seemingly ended Super Eagles’s journey to the biggest stage in world football, Nigeria’s World Cup hopes have been reignited.
Reports emerging this week suggest that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set to face an official FIFA probe regarding the eligibility of several players used during the CAF playoff final.
DR Congo defeated the Super Eagles on penalties in November to secure Africa’s slot in the Intercontinental Playoffs.
However, reports have since emerged suggesting that the Congolese side could face sanctions for allegedly fielding ineligible players, a development that may reignite Nigeria’s World Cup hopes.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has also submitted a formal petition to the world football governing body, challenging the status of up to six Congolese players.
Central to the dispute is the claim that these players, many of whom hold European passports, may not have followed the strict legal process for switching nationalities.
It was gathered that the Nigerian Federation is using DRC’s own constitution, which traditionally does not recognize dual citizenship as the basis of its argument.
The NFF argued that because the players in question, including high-profile names like Aaron Wan-Bissaka reportedly failed to formally renounce their previous citizenships before representing the Leopards, their participation was illegal under FIFA statutes.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that FIFA’s regulations on national team eligibility are complex. While players can switch allegiances if they meet specific criteria (such as birthright or residency), they must also adhere to the internal laws of the country they wish to represent.
If FIFA finds merit in these claims, the result of the November playoff could be overturned, awarding a 3-0 forfeit victory to the Super Eagles. This technicality is the spark that has caused Nigeria’s World Cup hopes to flicker back to life, potentially handing them the ticket to the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for March 2026.
Confirming Nigeria’s official stance, the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed that a formal protest has been submitted to FIFA, challenging the eligibility of certain DR Congo players over alleged violations of FIFA’s rules on nationality.
“We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship or nationality. Wan-Bissaka has a European passport, there are some of them that have French passports, some of them Dutch passports,” Sanusi said. “The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition.”
Sanusi further explained that FIFA’s initial clearance of the players was based on information provided to the world football body, but Nigeria believes that process may have been compromised.
“That’s why FIFA cleared them. FIFA rules say once you have passports of your country, you’re eligible, as far as FIFA is concerned, they are eligible and that’s why they were cleared,” he added. “But right now, our concern is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. It is not the responsibility of FIFA to ensure that the regulations of Congo are followed. FIFA goes by its own regulations, and it was on the basis of what was submitted to FIFA that they cleared them. What we are saying is that it was fraudulent.”
The development comes after the Super Eagles of Nigeria benefited from a three-point deduction against South Africa during the group stage of the World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA slapped South Africa with a three-point deduction over an ineligible player
The decision, announced on September 29, 2025, came after Bafana Bafana of South Africa fielded midfielder Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho in March, 2025.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, in a statement, ruled that Mokoena, who had accumulated two yellow cards in prior matches, was ineligible under Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and Article 14 of the World Cup Preliminary Regulations.
The development reshaped the group, although South Africa eventually finished as group leaders with the Super Eagles coming second.
