Nigeria’s protest over the Democratic Republic of Congo’s alleged use of an ineligible player in the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff was dismissed by FIFA partly because the Nigeria Football Federation reportedly submitted the complaint through the wrong email channel.
The development emerged after Nigeria lost the playoff final to DR Congo on penalties, with the encounter ending 1-1 after extra time. DR Congo won the shootout 4-3 to secure a place in the intercontinental playoff.
Nigeria had challenged the eligibility of DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, questioning whether the goalkeeper had properly completed the process required for his switch of international allegiance from France to DR Congo.
However, FIFA reportedly rejected the Nigerian complaint on technical grounds, including the timing and manner in which it was submitted.
A source at the National Sports Commission told Vanguard that one of the grounds cited by FIFA was that the NFF sent its petition to the office of the FIFA General Secretary instead of submitting it through the organisation’s designated legal portal.
The source questioned the decision, arguing that correspondence from national football associations is ordinarily received through the office of the General Secretary, who can then direct complaints to the appropriate department.
FIFA also reportedly considered the complaint to have been filed outside the stipulated period, a position that has triggered further questions over Nigeria’s handling of the protest and the circumstances surrounding its dismissal.
The decision means Nigeria’s hopes of overturning the playoff outcome through the eligibility complaint have suffered another setback, leaving DR Congo to proceed with the intercontinental playoff.