THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that it was appealing the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, rejecting its petition challenging the eligibility of certain players fielded by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off in Rabat, Morocco, in November last year.
Nigeria was eliminated from the play-offs after losing 4-3 to DRC on penalties.
Following the match, NFF raised concerns over the legitimacy of some DRC players, alleging irregularities in the issuance of passports that qualified them for the fixture.
After several months of deliberation, FIFA delivered its verdict rejecting Nigeria’s petition.
However, NFF confirmed it has formally launched an appeal, signaling its determination to pursue the matter through the proper channels.
NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said: “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.”
For now, DR Congo is set for the intercontinental playoff scheduled for later this month, having named its squad earlier.
The team will face the winner of the encounter between Jamaica and the New Caledonia, with the victor securing one of the final slots at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Recall that FIFA had on Monday fined Nigeria and the DRC over incidents involving supporters during their qualification playoff match in November last year, alleging that both countries were found to have breached provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code due to the conduct of their fans during the playoff final won by DRC on penalties.
While NFF was fined 1,000 Swiss francs after Nigerian supporters were reported to have thrown objects onto the pitch during the match, which it said violated Articles 17 and 17.2.b of its disciplinary code, the Congolese Football Association as hit with a 5,000 Swiss francs fine, after its supporters were found guilty of using laser pointers during the game, an act FIFA said contravened Article 17.2.d of the code.
FIFA noted that the sanctions were determined based on the circumstances surrounding each case and were open to appeal.
Published:
Related articles
Recent articles
