2026 World Cup: NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko Confident FIFA Will Punish DR Congo for Ineligible Player
- Nigeria has received a boost after filing a formal complaint over DR Congo’s use of dual-nationality players in World Cup playoffs
- NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko insists Nigeria’s case against DR Congo is strong and grounded in FIFA regulations
- DR Congo could face sanctions if found guilty, potentially impacting their intercontinental playoff spot
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup received a boost following allegations that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the CAF World Cup qualifying playoffs.
The Super Eagles were eliminated 4-3 on penalties by DR Congo in the decisive playoff match on November 16.
Source: UGC
However, National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Shehu Dikko is confident that Nigeria’s complaint to FIFA is solid and backed by the rules.
Speaking on Arise Television, Dikko insists that the formal complaint to FIFA by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is not born out of disappointment over the result.
“This issue did not start because we lost the playoffs.”.
According to Dikko, Nigerian football authorities began scrutinising DR Congo’s squad as early as November 1, nearly two weeks before the first leg on November 13.
Concerns over dual-nationality players
The main concern lies with DR Congo’s use of six to nine players who may have switched international allegiance but did not complete the required renunciation of their European passports under Congolese law, ESPN reports.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria argues that these players were ineligible to represent DR Congo in the World Cup qualifiers until FIFA officially cleared them.
Dikko revealed that the NFF and NSC noticed red flags when DR Congo announced their squad for the playoffs.
“When we saw the squad that was put in place for the playoffs... we found out from the beginning that the Congolese had already named players of other nationalities who had not been cleared by FIFA.”
This prompted close monitoring of the Nigerian team before the matches.
FIFA launches investigation against DR Congo
The Nigerian authorities have now submitted a formal complaint to FIFA, asking the world governing body to investigate the situation thoroughly.
Dikko emphasised that the issue is “very tight” and fully grounded in FIFA regulations.
If FIFA confirms that DR Congo fielded ineligible players, the country could face serious sanctions, ranging from fines to potential disqualification from the intercontinental playoff.
“What gave them the confidence to name a player of another nationality in their squad to play a match two weeks later, when he wasn’t qualified to play for them until the day before? That raised alarm for us after the qualifiers,” Dikko stated.
Nigeria, alongside Cameroon, which had raised similar concerns, is now waiting on FIFA’s verdict before the final intercontinental playoff spots are contested for the 2026 World Cup.
How Nigeria survived FIFA ban
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that a scout to former Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr weighed in on the controversy with DR Congo, highlighting why Nigeria avoided a potential FIFA sanction.
The scout cited past examples, including Kingsley Ehizubue and Tobias Lawal, who were unable to represent Nigeria due to restrictions on dual nationality in the Netherlands and Austria.
Source: Legit.ng
