Reports indicate that Nigeria still has a chance of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This follows a petition submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to the world football governing body, FIFA, alleging that some players fielded by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) were not eligible to represent the country.
According to the complaint, between six and nine DR Congo players reportedly switched nationality from other countries and were cleared by FIFA to play for DR Congo.
However, the NFF claims it later discovered that some of these players may still be holding passports of their former countries.
The NFF argues that this violates the constitution of DR Congo, which does not allow dual citizenship, thereby raising questions about the players’ eligibility.
The Nigerian football body is now awaiting FIFA’s decision on the matter, which could have implications for Nigeria’s qualification hopes for the 2026 World Cup.
