By our reporter 30.1.2026
Nigeria Football Federation said it is still battling in the boardroom to get the Super Eagles qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
According to the NFF secretary-general Sanusi Mohammed, Nigeria is waiting on the world soccer governing body FIFA to act on the petition it filed against the Congo Democratic Republic over the fielding of ineligible players in the play-off qualification contest November last year in Rabat Morocco.
FIFA has been muted on the petition with only a month to go for the inter-continental playoffs in March, the NFF secretary-general said the petition it filed carried a lot of weight against the Congolese fielding of nine players whose eligibility is in doubt.
We have a good case. We don’t venture into what we know is an exercise in futility,” Mr. Mohammed told Brila FM.
“As far as we are concerned, we have a good case, and we are waiting for what FIFA will say as regards to the complaints we have logged.”
At the play offs in Morocco the Super Eagles the highest ranked team in the contest featuring Gabon, Cameroon and Congo DR failed to deliver.
They started off on a bang beating Gabon 4-2 but later were forced to bite the dust against Congo DR who came from a goal down to snatch victory via penalty shootout in the final game.
That was when the NFF started playing Shylock Holmes and detected that seven players in the Congolese team have not met the constitutional requirements to be citizens Congo DR.
For one to be a citizen of Congo, you must rescind your other nationality to get a passport, but the players in question are still holding bonafide citizens of other countries. A clear violation of the constitution of Congo. This is the line of the NFF argument.
But judging from the body language of the FIFA there wouldn’t be any repercussions for the Congo DR Football Federation.
Congo DR are highly likely to play in the intercontinental tournament featuring Iraq, Jamaica, Suriname, New Caledonia and Bolivia. The competition for the last opportunity to qualify for the 2026 World Cup is billed for March 26-31 in Mexico.
” If we don’t get the justice that we expect, then CAS will be the next stop. That I can assure you”, the NFF scribe added.