The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that it has started the process of appealing a decision by FIFA. The world football governing body’s Disciplinary Committee rejected a petition filed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The petition was related to the eligibility of some players who featured for DR Congo in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff match against Nigeria. The game took place on 16th November 2025, at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
The match was the final of the African playoffs. After a tense 90 minutes and extra time, the score remained tied at 1-1. DR Congo eventually won the game in a penalty shootout, securing their place in the World Cup Playoffs.
Days after the match, the NFF sent a petition to FIFA, raising concerns about what it described as possible fraud in the issuance of passports for some players in the DR Congo team.
The NFF argued that these documents were used to make the players eligible for the playoffs, and they asked FIFA to look into the matter.
On Tuesday, the NFF received the verdict from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The committee rejected the petition, meaning they did not find enough evidence to take action against DR Congo.
Speaking on the development, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, stated that the federation is not satisfied with the outcome. He confirmed that they have already taken the next step.
“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,” Dr. Sanusi said.
He moved to reassure Nigerian football fans that the federation is not backing down. “I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision,” he added.
The appeal will now be reviewed by a higher body within FIFA as the NFF continues its fight to have the case reconsidered.