2026 WORLD CUP: FIFA OFFICIALLY REJECTS SUPER EAGLES PETITION AGAINST DR CONGO

March 18, 2026 • Dons Eze • 1 min read

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The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has confirmed that FIFA has rejected their petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This was confirmed by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, on Tuesday.

Sanusi however insisted they were not satisfied with the verdict and will begin the process of appealing it.

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.”

The Super Eagles lost the African play-off final to DR Congo 4-3 on penalties.

However, after the match, the NFF protested the eligibility of some players in the Congolese squad, citing perceived fraud in the issuance of passports those involved.

DR Congo have been drawn to face the winner of the clash between the Jamaica and New Caledonia in the 2026 World Cup intercontinental play-off later this month.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.