By Adegbaju Temitope 

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has commenced an appeal process following the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to dismiss its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo over alleged player ineligibility.

The petition arose from a 2026 FIFA World Cup African Playoff match between Nigeria and DR Congo, played in Rabat, Morocco on November 16, 2025.

Reacting to the development, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said the federation was dissatisfied with FIFA’s ruling and had already initiated steps to challenge the outcome.

“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition. I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision,” he stated.

The NFF had earlier lodged a complaint with FIFA, alleging irregularities in the issuance of passports to some DR Congo players, which it claimed rendered them ineligible for the playoff.

The decisive match, held at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium, ended 1-1 after regulation and extra time, with DR Congo eventually triumphing via a sudden-death penalty shootout to secure qualification.

The NFF’s appeal now sets the stage for further review by FIFA authorities as Nigeria seeks redress over the contentious fixture.