Fresh uncertainty has emerged over Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup aspirations after FIFA released its 2025 CAS & Football Annual Report without any reference to Nigeria’s pending petition against DR Congo.
The omission has heightened anxiety among Nigerian football fans, as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is still awaiting 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’ dramatic elimination after a 4–3 penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo national football team in Rabat last November. The defeat dashed Nigeria’s hopes of progressing directly to the intercontinental play-offs for the 2026 tournament in North America.
Despite expectations that a decision could emerge around mid-February after a scheduled Ethics Committee meeting, FIFA’s latest publication made no mention of the case. Instead, the report focused on the broader role of football in global arbitration, noting that 77 per cent of cases registered with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2025 were football-related.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, confirmed that as of February 19, 2026, no final verdict had been reached.
He dismissed reports of a decision, stating that Nigeria had received no official communication from FIFA and stressing that the matter remains before the governing body’s independent judicial panels.
“World Cup is a closed chapter for us competitively, but the legal matter is pending. The relevant independent bodies within FIFA will decide,” Dikko said, maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s case while acknowledging that the final outcome rests with the international authorities.
