BREAKING: FIFA Rejects Nigeria’s Protest, Super Eagles Miss Intercontinental Play-Off Spot

Naija News can exclusively report that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has lost its petition challenging the eligibility of certain DR Congo players, effectively ending the Super Eagles’ hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup via the intercontinental play-off.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

A trusted source confirmed to Naija News that FIFA delivered its final ruling on Monday, 17 February, and has formally notified all relevant football federations. The source also revealed that FIFA has instructed the parties to refrain from public statements, emphasizing that only the organization itself will officially release the decision.

FIFA concluded that the NFF’s arguments were insufficient to block DR Congo from advancing to the intercontinental play-offs scheduled for March. Consequently, Nigeria’s petition was dismissed, meaning the Super Eagles will not take part in the six-nation tournament, effectively ending their World Cup qualification bid for the expanded 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The controversy arose after Nigeria lost 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in November 2025 during the African play-off final in Morocco, a defeat that denied the Super Eagles direct qualification. On 15 December 2025, the NFF formally petitioned FIFA, claiming that six Congolese players who recently changed international allegiance were ineligible to participate in that decisive match.

At the time, NFF officials expressed confidence in their case. General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said, “We have a good case. We are confident in the strength of our complaint and await FIFA’s decision.” Similarly, National Sports Commission Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko voiced optimism about a positive outcome for Nigeria.

In the weeks preceding the ruling, reports suggested that DR Congo was confident of prevailing, with influential football figures from Congo and other Francophone nations reportedly lobbying within FIFA. Sports247 noted that these executives leveraged their influence to secure a favourable decision, aware that FIFA could have ruled in Nigeria’s favour based on the evidence.

Despite the speculation, FIFA has now completed its review and determined that the complaint does not justify overturning the result of the African play-off. DR Congo remains set to compete in the intercontinental play-offs in March, where the final World Cup spots will be decided.

The NFF retains the option to challenge FIFA’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which handles sports-related disputes through arbitration or mediation. It is still unclear whether Nigeria will pursue this legal route.