The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says it is investigating whether DR Congo used players who were not eligible during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The probe could give Nigeria another chance to qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
DR Congo eliminated Nigeria in November after a 4–3 penalty shootout in Morocco. The team was set to play the winner of the semi-final between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
But the NFF claims that six to nine DR Congo players may have broken the country’s rules. DR Congo’s law does not allow dual citizenship, but some players reportedly did not give up their previous citizenships. FIFA cleared the players because they had DR Congo passports, but Nigeria says the process was misleading.
A member of the NFF board said, “About six to nine players had dual citizenship during the play-off. We have sent all the documents to FIFA to check.”
NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi added, “FIFA cleared them because they had passports, but our concern is that FIFA was misled. FIFA follows what countries submit; it does not check domestic laws. We believe the process was wrong.”
This development gives Nigeria new hope of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, after missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar. DR Congo has appeared at the World Cup only once, in 1974, when it was called Zaire.
