(ITS OFFICIAL) W’Cup play-off: Nigeria loses DR Congo petition, NFF drags FIFA to court

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced it has begun the process of appealing FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee decision, which rejected its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) over the eligibility of certain players in the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off match in Rabat, Morocco, last November.

Nigeria lost the match 4-3 on penalties, but the NFF raised concerns about the eligibility of some DR Congo players, citing alleged irregularities in the issuance of passports that qualified them for the play-off.

After months of waiting, the NFF confirmed receipt of FIFA’s verdict and said it is pursuing an appeal.

“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 will now face the winner of the match between Jamaica and New Caledonia for a spot at the 2026 World Cup.

The final play-offs will take place in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico, where five other countries will compete for the remaining two places in the expanded tournament, set to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.