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By
Arinze Izik

World football governing body FIFA has reportedly found merit in Nigeria’s eligibility complaint against DR Congo, which could have handed the Super Eagles a place in the intercontinental playoff for the 2026 World Cup, http://OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

According to an exclusive investigation by The New York Times, Nigeria did have a legitimate case against DR Congo over the use of an ineligible player, following their loss to the Congolese on penalties in the African playoff final in November 2025.

FIFA’s review of the DR Congo squad was triggered by an eligibility petition submitted by Nigeria after Congo defeated them to advance to face Jamaica.

During its investigation, FIFA discovered that Congo had failed to complete the necessary paperwork to allow goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi to change his national affiliation after representing France at youth level, documents seen by The Times revealed.

FIFA did not dispute any of The Times’ findings, stating only that Nigeria’s case was thrown out on a technicality.

In a response to The Times via email, FIFA said its judicial bodies are “autonomous and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.” It added that its president, Gianni Infantino, had no involvement in such rulings.

In the Congo case, FIFA officials reportedly considered several options, including awarding the game to Nigeria, imposing financial sanctions, replacing Congo with Nigeria in the playoff tie against Jamaica, or taking no action on the basis that Nigeria’s complaint was filed late, the documents showed.

Further correspondence relating to the investigation, also seen by The Times, contained details of FIFA’s handling of similar past cases that aligned with information already in the public domain. A FIFA legal official who was not part of the case confirmed the authenticity of the documents obtained by The Times.

One of the officials involved, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said he was informed that the protest was dismissed on technical grounds but was not briefed on the finding regarding the goalkeeper’s eligibility.

“They just kept quiet, and they can’t tell anyone because they know it’s going to be a serious crisis for them,” Gusau said of FIFA. He called for a full investigation.

The Times said it reviewed a document that corresponded with Gusau’s account of FIFA’s reply.

The Congo case is also expected to bring renewed focus on Infantino’s relationship with the African region. As he battles to retain his position, Infantino will likely be needing support from Africa.