\n\nThe Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has had its petition dismissed by world football governing body FIFA over the claim that the Fédération Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA) fielded an ineligible player during the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifying play‑off tie, a development that ends the Super Eagles’ hope of returning to the 2026 World Cup race via the intercontinental play‑off route.
A reliable source told Naija News that FIFA reached its final decision on Monday, February 17, and has formally communicated the verdict to all federations involved in the dispute.
According to the source, FIFA ruled that the NFF’s argument was not strong enough to overturn the result and stop the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) from progressing to the intercontinental play‑offs scheduled for March.
The NFF had argued that DR Congo fielded players who were not eligible to play because of questions around their nationality status. Nigeria claimed that some Congolese players held European passports and had not met the full requirements under FIFA’s registration rules.
However, FIFA’s final decision confirmed that the Super Eagles’ protest will not affect DR Congo’s progress, meaning the Leopards will keep their place in the intercontinental play‑off matches.
In a statement, the NFF warned the public against believing false information and fake documents circulating online about the matter. The federation insisted it had not received any official ruling from FIFA at the time many of those false reports appeared.
Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took a major hit when the Super Eagles were eliminated by DR Congo in November following a penalty shoot‑out loss in the African play‑off final. A favourable outcome in the FIFA petition could have reinstated Nigeria into the race for one of the final World Cup spots.
With the petition dismissed, the Super Eagles now miss the chance to return to contention through the intercontinental play‑off, and attention for the team will turn to future competitions.
