The Democratic Republic of Congo Football Federation (FECOFA) has issued a stern warning to Nigeria and the Super Eagles, urging them to abandon what it described as attempts to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup through “backdoor” means.
The warning follows a petition reportedly submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to FIFA, challenging the eligibility of several DR Congo players fielded during their recent Intercontinental Play-off clash in Morocco. That encounter ended 4–3 on penalties in favour of the Congolese side, a result that effectively ended Nigeria’s hopes of advancing to the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off.
DR Congo have since been handed a bye into the final, where they will face the winner of the semi-final between New Caledonia and Jamaica, according to The PUNCH.
Eligibility Controversy Sparks Diplomatic Football Row
Reports indicate that between six and nine DR Congo players who switched national allegiance may not have fully complied with eligibility requirements under Congolese law before representing the country.
While FIFA reportedly cleared the players on the basis that they possessed valid DR Congo passports, concerns have been raised that some failed to formally renounce their previous citizenships — a requirement under the DR Congo constitution, which does not recognise dual nationality.
Nigeria’s camp argues that this alleged constitutional breach renders the players ineligible, despite FIFA’s approval. DR Congo, however, have dismissed the claims outright, accusing Nigeria of attempting to overturn the result through administrative manoeuvres rather than sporting merit.
“Win on the Pitch, Not in the Courtroom” — DR Congo
In a strongly worded post on the national team’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, DR Congo responded defiantly to the allegations:
“If you can’t win on the pitch, don’t try to win from the back door. The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence — not with legal tricks. Bring it on.”
To reinforce their position, the Congolese federation shared images of some naturalised players — including Aaron Wan-Bissaka — meeting with DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi. Screenshots from FIFA’s “Change of Association” platform were also posted, showing the dates several players officially completed their nationality switch.
NFF Maintains Firm Position
Nigeria’s football authorities confirmed on Monday that a formal petition had been lodged with FIFA to investigate the matter.
“NFF has done the needful,” a member of the federation’s executive board stated.
“Their constitution does not allow dual citizenship, and about six to nine players had that status during the play-off. That is the loophole we are exploring.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, reiterated the federation’s stance, suggesting that FIFA may have been misled during the clearance process.
“FIFA rules say once you have a passport of your country, you’re eligible, and that is why they were cleared,” Sanusi explained.
“But our concern is that FIFA was deceived. It is not FIFA’s responsibility to enforce Congo’s domestic regulations — it acts on what is submitted. What we are saying is that the process was fraudulent.”
Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes Revived?
The controversy has reignited Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, after the Super Eagles failed to reach the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
For DR Congo, qualification would mark only their second appearance at the World Cup, having featured just once before — in 1974, when the nation competed under the name Zaire.
As FIFA reviews the petition, the dispute has added a fresh layer of tension to Africa’s already fiercely contested World Cup qualification race, with potential ramifications that could reshape the road to 2026.
0 Comments