‘Don’t Try To Reach World Cup From Backdoor,’ DR Congo Slams Nigeria Over FIFA Petition

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reacted to reports that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) petitioned FIFA over the alleged use of ineligible players by the Leopards during the 2026 World Cup playoffs in Morocco.

Responding to the development, the Congolese team, through a post on its official Instagram page on Tuesday night, warned Nigeria against attempting to qualify for the World Cup “from the back door” after losing to them on penalties.

“If you can’t win on the pitch don’t try to win from the back door. The World Cup has to be played with dignity and confidence. Not with lawyers tricks. Bring it on. Allez y les Leopards. Bad losers,” the message read.

The post followed confirmation by the NFF that it had submitted a formal petition to FIFA, accusing DR Congo of fielding nine ineligible players in the final CAF 2026 World Cup playoff against the Super Eagles last month.

Speaking to ScoreNigeria, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, accused the Congolese Football Federation of misleading FIFA over the eligibility status of the players.

“The Nigerian petition is on nine players of DRC. FIFA were deceived into clearing those players because it is not FIFA’s responsibility to interpret or enforce domestic citizenship laws,” Sanusi said.

He argued that Congolese law does not allow dual citizenship, which he said applied to the players in question.

“DR Congo law does not permit dual citizenship, yet some of the players involved reportedly hold dual nationality,” he added.

He further explained the federation’s position on FIFA’s role in the matter.

“FIFA rules say once you have a passport of your country, you’re eligible, and that is why they were cleared,” Sanusi stated.

“But our concern is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. It is not FIFA’s responsibility to enforce Congo’s domestic regulations; FIFA acts based on what is submitted to it. What we are saying is that the process was fraudulent.”

The unfolding situation has reignited optimism among Nigerian football fans.

Nigeria has not appeared at the World Cup since 2018 and narrowly missed out on the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Missing the 2026 edition would have marked back-to-back absences for Africa’s most populous nation. (SaharaReporters)