The Democratic Republic of Congo has hit back at Nigeria following the Nigeria Football Federation’s petition to FIFA over the alleged use of ineligible players during their 2026 World Cup playoff clash in Morocco.
Reacting in a strongly worded statement posted on its official Instagram page on Tuesday night, the Congolese football authorities accused Nigeria of attempting to qualify for the World Cup “through the back door” after losing the decisive encounter on penalties.
“If you can’t win on the pitch, don’t try to win from the back door,” the statement read.
“The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence, not with lawyers’ tricks. Bring it on. Allez y les Leopards. Bad losers.”
The response followed confirmation by the NFF that it had formally lodged a complaint with world football governing body, FIFA, alleging that nine DR Congo players fielded in the playoff were ineligible under Congolese law.
Explaining the basis of Nigeria’s petition, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said the issue was rooted in DR Congo’s domestic citizenship laws, which reportedly prohibit dual nationality.
According to Sanusi, FIFA cleared the players based on the documentation presented to it, as its rules permit players to represent a country once they hold a valid passport.
However, he argued that FIFA was misled in this instance.
“Our petition concerns nine players of DR Congo,” Sanusi said.
“FIFA was deceived into clearing them because it is not FIFA’s responsibility to interpret or enforce domestic citizenship laws. FIFA acts on what is submitted to it, but our contention is that the process was fraudulent.”
DR Congo had edged Nigeria in a penalty shootout to secure a place in the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for Mexico in March 2026, keeping their World Cup hopes alive.
The controversy has since reignited debate among Nigerian football fans, with some expressing optimism that FIFA’s review of the petition could yet change the outcome.
Nigeria last featured at the World Cup in 2018 and failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, raising fears that missing the 2026 edition would further deepen frustration among supporters.
The matter is now before FIFA, which will determine whether any eligibility rules were breached.
If Nigeria’s petition is upheld, the Super Eagles could be reinstated into contention for the Intercontinental Playoffs, provided the fixtures have not already been concluded.
