The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has ruled in favour of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in an eligibility dispute arising from the Best Losers Playoff match against DR Congo in the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Newsonspot reports that the Committee found that DR Congo fielded an ineligible player in the decisive playoff match, which had originally ended in a 2-1 victory for the Central African side. Nigeria had lodged a formal protest, alleging that the player had not completed the required nationality switch process before participating in the match.
After reviewing match reports, registration records, official correspondence, and submissions from both football federations, FIFA determined that the player had previously represented another national association at youth level and had only initiated, but not completed, a formal change of association. The Committee noted that mandatory written approval from FIFA had not been granted before the fixture, and no provisional clearance was issued.
Citing relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes and Disciplinary Code, the Committee ruled that fielding an ineligible player in an official competition match warrants forfeiture. As a result, the match was declared forfeited and recorded as a 3–0 victory for Nigeria.
Following the ruling, the Super Eagles were declared winners of the Best Losers Playoff Round and awarded qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. DR Congo has been disqualified from the playoff pathway but retains the right to appeal the decision before the FIFA Appeals Committee.
FIFA also stressed the importance of strict compliance with nationality switch procedures, especially in high-stakes qualification matches, noting that all administrative processes must be fully completed before a player is allowed to represent a national team.
