Late submission and unpaid fee caused FIFA to dismiss NFF protest against DR Congo

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that it has received the ruling from FIFA dismissing its protest against the Democratic Republic of the Congo for fielding ineligible players in the final of the World Cup qualifiers in November 2025.

Nigeria protested that several players on the DRC team did not meet the constitutional requirements to be considered citizens of the DRC, as they have dual nationality, which is against their constitution.

FIFA ruled in favor of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, clearing the way for them to represent Africa in the intercontinental playoff later this month in Mexico, where there will be two tickets to the world cup.

However, according to veteran Nigerian journalist Kunle Solaja, what Nigerians thought was a valid case was mishandled by the NFF that lodged the protest.

He made this known in his reaction to the sentence in his article for Sportsvillagesquare.com. Below is what he revealed.

“According to the source, FIFA received the NFF complaint on November 28, 2025, almost two weeks after the Rabat match.

According to the Regulations governing the 2026 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition, protests related to player eligibility must follow strict deadlines.

Article 8 of the regulations stipulates that any protest must first be communicated to the match commissioner within two hours of the end of the match, and must then be followed by a detailed written submission within 24 hours.

The article says:

“Protests regarding the eligibility of players selected for preliminary competition matches must be submitted in writing within two hours of the match and followed by a full written report within 24 hours.”

Because Nigeria’s protest was filed on November 28 for a match played on November 16, it fell well outside the allowed time frame.

The source further revealed that the mandatory protest fee of 1,000 Swiss francs, which must accompany such filings, was also not paid. As a result, the case was not formally prosecuted by FIFA’s judicial bodies.

“The appeal that was widely publicized was never considered by FIFA’s judicial authorities because it did not meet the procedural requirements,” the source explained, adding that the NFF was formally informed of the situation on March 9, 2026.

Another week passed before the agency announced the decision, indirectly with a claim to appeal the sentence.

According to FIFA regulations, a protest must not only meet the deadline but also include clear reasons, supporting evidence and relevant regulatory provisions before the Disciplinary Committee can examine the case.

Because the submission did not meet these procedural conditions, FIFA dismissed the complaint without examining the substance of Nigeria’s allegations regarding the players’ eligibility.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman