FIFA Omits Nigeria Petition Against DR Congo In Latest Annual Report

 FIFA Omits Nigeria Petition Against DR Congo In Latest Annual Report 

By Admin 

Fresh uncertainty has clouded Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup campaign after FIFA released its 2025 CAS & Football Annual Report without referencing Nigeria’s pending petition against Democratic Republic of the Congo, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The omission has heightened anxiety among Nigerian supporters, as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) continues to await a ruling on its complaint alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the African play-off final for the 2026 World Cup.

Nigeria lodged its protest on December 15, 2025, following the Super Eagles’ elimination after a dramatic 4–3 penalty shootout defeat in Rabat last November. The loss ended Nigeria’s hopes of advancing directly to the intercontinental play-offs for the tournament in North America.

Expectations had grown that clarity might emerge by mid-February, particularly after a scheduled meeting of FIFA’s Ethics Committee. However, the governing body’s latest report made no mention of the Nigeria–DR Congo dispute.

Instead, the publication highlighted broader trends in global football arbitration, noting that 77 per cent of cases registered in 2025 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport were football-related.

For Nigerian fans, those statistics provide little comfort. With no official timeline for a decision, uncertainty continues to dominate discourse surrounding the Super Eagles’ World Cup prospects.

Speaking to State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 19, 2026, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, confirmed that no final verdict had been communicated by FIFA.

He dismissed reports suggesting a decision had been reached, stressing that the commission had received no formal notification from the global governing body.

While expressing confidence in Nigeria’s position, Dikko acknowledged that the matter now rests with FIFA’s independent judicial bodies.

“Competitively, the World Cup is a closed chapter for us, but the legal process is still ongoing,” he said. “The relevant independent bodies within FIFA will determine the outcome.”

Until that decision is delivered, Nigeria’s World Cup fate remains unresolved.