The football federation of the Democratic Republic of Congo has issued a stern warning to Nigeria and the Super Eagles regarding what it termed as qualifying for the 2026 World Cup through “backdoor” means.
This statement follows a recent petition by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to FIFA, contesting the eligibility of certain players fielded during the recent play-off clash that resulted in a 4–3 penalty shoot-out victory for DR Congo in Morocco, ultimately eliminating the Super Eagles from advancing to the FIFA intercontinental play-off.
The Congolese team has since received a bye into the final of the intercontinental play-off tournament, where they are set to face the winner of the semi-final match between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
Reports indicate that between six and nine DR Congo players who switched their national allegiance may not have fully adhered to the eligibility requirements outlined in Congolese law prior to representing the country.
Although FIFA reportedly cleared these players based on their possession of valid DR Congo passports, concerns have been raised that they did not formally renounce their previous citizenships, which contradicts the Central African nation’s constitution that prohibits dual nationality.
In a statement released on the national team’s official X account on Wednesday, DR Congo rejected the allegations and accused Nigeria of attempting to overturn the result through administrative means.
“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.
Additionally, the Central African football body shared images of several players who switched their nationality, including Aaron Wan-Bissaka, meeting with the President of the country, Felix Tshisekedi. The picture, retrieved from FIFA’s website under the title “Change of Association platform,” showcased some of their key players transitioning from their previous countries to Congo, along with the dates when their decisions were finalized.
On Monday, Nigerian officials confirmed that they had submitted a petition to FIFA regarding the eligibility of the players fielded by DR Congo.
“NFF has done the needful,” a member of the federation’s executive board told PUNCH Online. “Their constitution does not allow dual citizenship, and about six to nine players had that status during the play-off. That is the loophole we are exploring. Our lawyers must have submitted the relevant documents to FIFA as well.”
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, also affirmed that the NFF has raised concerns about the players’ switch.
“We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship or nationality,” Sanusi stated. “Wan-Bissaka has a European passport; some of them have French passports, while others hold Dutch passports. The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition.
“FIFA rules state that once you have a passport of your country, you’re eligible, and that is why they were cleared,” Sanusi elaborated. “However, our concern is that FIFA was misled into clearing them. It is not FIFA’s responsibility to enforce Congo’s domestic regulations; FIFA acts based on what is submitted to it. What we are asserting is that the process was fraudulent.”
This development has rekindled Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, as the country had faced the prospect of missing back-to-back World Cups after failing to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar.
For context, DR Congo has participated in the FIFA World Cup only once, in 1974, when they were known as Zaire.
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