Congo defeated Nigeria 4-3 on penalties to secure their spot in the 2026 intercontinental play-offs. Congo will play against the winners of the semi-final between New Caledonia and Jamaica.
Cameroon has also previously filed a complaint with FIFA over ineligible players who both federations claim were born in Europe but were not given proper permission to switch nationalities to represent Congo.
Sanusi Mohammed, general secretary of the Nigerian Football Federation, said: “Congo law prohibits dual nationality. Wan-Bissaka has a European passport and other players have a French or Dutch passport. The rules are clear. We cannot say anything now, but we have lodged our protest with FIFA.”
FIFA has not yet responded to the complaint. The intercontinental play-offs will not take place until March 2026.
All players involved have Congolese passports, but Sanusi claims FIFA was tricked into granting permission to play for Congo.
“There are players who got their Congo passports in just three months. So there is what is considered a breach of regulations for us.”
“The FIFA rules are different from DR Congo rules, that’s why FIFA approved them,” he continued. “The FIFA regulations say that once you have your country’s passport, you are eligible. As far as we are concerned, they are eligible and that is why they have been approved by FIFA.
“But our position is that FIFA was misled into approving them because it is not FIFA’s responsibility to ensure that Congo’s rules are adhered to. FIFA adheres to its own rules, and it was on the basis of what was presented to FIFA that they approved them. But we say it was fraudulent.”
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