Nigeria have launched an explosive last ditch attempt to resurrect their shattered World Cup dreams, filing an official protest with FIFA alleging DR Congo fielded up to nine ineligible players in November’s decisive qualifying playoff.
The Super Eagles, led by African Footballer of the Year Victor Osimhen, crashed out on penalties after a 1-1 draw, missing their chance to reach the 2026 finals. But now the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has thrown the qualification process into chaos, claiming their opponents breached nationality laws.
“We have submitted our protest to FIFA,” NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi told reporters. “The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual nationality. There are so many of them that have European passports… The rules are very clear.”
The controversy centres on players like West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and others who switched allegiance to represent DR Congo. While FIFA’s rules permit players to compete if they hold a valid passport for their chosen nation, Congolese domestic law does not recognise dual citizenship. Nigeria allege that these players, while holding Congolese passports, did not legally renounce their European citizenships as required by DRC law rendering them ineligible.
“FIFA goes by its own regulations, and it was on the basis of what was presented to FIFA that they cleared them. But we are saying that it was fraudulent,” Sanusi stated bluntly, suggesting FIFA was “deceived” by the documentation.
The playoff itself was a tense affair. Frank Onyeka put Nigeria ahead early, only for Meschack Elia to equalise before captain Chancel Mbemba converted the winning penalty. The defeat condemned Nigeria to miss a second consecutive World Cup, their next chance not until 2030.
For DR Congo, the stakes are historic. Victory in March’s intercontinental playoff against either Jamaica or New Caledonia would send them to only their second ever World Cup, their sole appearance being in 1974.
FIFA now faces a diplomatic and regulatory minefield. If Nigeria’s protest is upheld, the result could be overturned, potentially handing the Super Eagles a sensational reprieve and a route back into the playoffs. A decision is expected before the intercontinental playoffs in March.
It’s a messy, dramatic twist in a campaign that has already seen heartbreak for one of Africa’s football giants. Whether the paperwork on a passport can outweigh the penalty saved on the pitch now rests in the hands of football’s governing body. The World Cup dream, for someone, is still alive by protest.
