By Queen Madaki
December 15, 2025
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have reportedly been revived following claims that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) may face sanctions for allegedly fielding ineligible players.
DR Congo had defeated the Super Eagles on penalties in November to secure Africa’s ticket to the Intercontinental Playoffs for a place at the 2026 World Cup.
However, fresh reports now suggest that the Central African nation could be expelled from the competition, pending investigations by FIFA ahead of the playoffs scheduled for March 2026.
According to the reports, at least six DR Congo players who switched nationality allegedly failed to complete the required eligibility process. The players are said to have not formally renounced their previous citizenships, a critical requirement, as DR Congo does not recognise dual nationality.
Further allegations claim that several players who featured in the decisive playoff match were above the age of 21 but still held valid passports from other countries, which could render them ineligible under FIFA regulations.
Quoting football analysis platform SCORENigeria, the report stated that the petition against DR Congo has strong prospects of success.
“The chances of the petition against DR Congo succeeding are even stronger than when South Africa were docked three points and three goals for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho,” SCORENigeria was quoted as saying.
“A petition has been submitted against DR Congo concerning the eligibility of several players who featured in the World Cup Playoffs in Morocco.
“There is still hope for the Super Eagles, provided the Intercontinental Playoffs in Mexico have not been played.”
As of the time of filing this report, FIFA has not issued an official statement on the allegations, while football fans across Nigeria continue to await developments that could dramatically alter the country’s World Cup qualification prospects.
