FIFA reject Nigeria protest against Congo - NFF to appeal decision with CAS
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Super Eagles' World Cup hopes all but over after FIFA ruling
After months of speculation, the Nigerian Football Federation have come forward to confirm that FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has rejected their petition against the DR Congo for fielding ineligible players during the CAF World Cup Playoffs last November.
Following the 4-3 defeat on penalties, the NFF submitted an official complaint to football’s international governing body, alleging that between six and nine Leopards players had improperly switched international allegiances, given that Congolese law does not recognise dual citizenship.
There was widespread belief that the NFF had known FIFA’s decision for weeks following the confirmation of the fixtures for the Interconfederational Playoffs. However, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi only announced the confirmation on Monday, while also vowing to continue the fight. He said:
“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition. I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.”
Nigeria now have 10 days to file an appeal against FIFA’s decision with substantial evidence to support the claim. If they are still unsatisfied with the appeal committee’s decision, the case can be transferred to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) for a final ruling.
As it stands, the Interconfederational Playoffs are set to go ahead as planned on March 26 and 31, with the DR Congo facing the winner of the semi-final between Jamaica and New Caledonia. The winner of that match will secure one of the final entries to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Senegal stripped of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Title
Elsewhere in African football, a bombshell dropped on Tuesday afternoon when the Confederation of African Football announced that Senegal had been stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, with Morocco now announced as the tournament winners.
The issue arose in the dying moments of the final on January 18, when Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest following the awarding of a penalty to Morocco, which caused a delay of 17 minutes before the Lions of Teranga returned to the pitch to complete the match.
Following the match, the Moroccan Football Association appealed to CAF, which said that the appeal was “declared admissible in form” and was upheld. CAF added that “through the conduct of the team”, Senegal infringed on Article 82 of AFCON regulations.
The Moroccan FA released a statement shortly after the announcement, claiming that their appeal was “never intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams” but was a request for the “application of the competition’s regulations.”
