The Democratic Republic of Congo has issued a stern warning to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following a petition filed with FIFA over the alleged use of ineligible players during the 2026 World Cup playoff match.
In a sharp reaction posted on the national team’s official 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account, DR Congo accused Nigeria of attempting to secure a place in the World Cup playoffs through administrative manoeuvres rather than sporting merit.
“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,” the post read.
Nigeria, who lost to DR Congo on penalties during the November playoff encounter, had confirmed it had formally petitioned FIFA over what it described as potential violations of FIFA’s eligibility rules.
The petition alleges that several Congolese players who recently switched national allegiance may not have completed the required processes under FIFA’s nationality regulations.
At the centre of Nigeria’s claims is the issue of dual citizenship, which is not recognised by Congolese law. The NFF argues that players who hold European passports, including French, Dutch, and British documents, may have breached the requirements.
Speaking on the development, NFF Secretary General, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said FIFA had initially cleared the players based on documents submitted by the DR Congo Football Federation.
Sanusi said, “We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship or nationality. Wan-Bissaka has a European passport, and there are others with French and Dutch passports.
“The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition.”
Sanusi stressed that Nigeria’s protest is not about undermining FIFA’s process but about ensuring that the global football body was not misled.
“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,” he added.
