The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed widespread reports claiming that the Super Eagles have lost their chance of qualifying for the next FIFA World Cup, insisting that FIFA has not issued any official ruling on the matter.
NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, in a statement, said it was still awaiting formal communication from the world football governing body regarding Nigeria’s eligibility complaint.
“The NFF has not received any formal communication from FIFA whatsoever. No information can be shared with journalists without first coming to the federations involved,” Olajire said.
“Yes, our wait is ongoing. We are still expecting formal communication from FIFA. Let those posting the old quotes continue posting them.”
The clarification followed viral reports suggesting that FIFA had confirmed DR Congo as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation play-off tournament, triggering headlines that Nigeria’s World Cup hopes were effectively over.
Those reports cited a FIFA statement which read: “All of the six teams have now been decided, with Bolivia, Congo DR, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname confirmed as qualifiers.”
However, the statement in question was originally published by FIFA on November 18, 2025, more than three months before Wednesday’s reports and referred to the completion of the qualification process before Nigeria filed its protest. It does not reflect any fresh ruling on the NFF’s complaint.
The NFF had submitted a formal petition to FIFA on December 15, 2025, challenging the eligibility of six DR Congo players who allegedly switched international allegiance shortly before the match and were deemed ineligible at the time.
Nigeria filed the protest after suffering a heartbreaking setback in November 2025, losing 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo in the final African playoff for the inter-confederation tournament.
FIFA has since confirmed that the matter remains under review but has yet to indicate when a final decision will be reached.
The delay has fueled growing frustration among Nigerian football stakeholders, especially as the inter-confederation play-offs draw closer.
