Super Eagles’ World Cup hopes revived as DR Congo face FIFA Sanctions

Nigeria’s fading hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup have received a surprising boost, as DR Congo now face the possibility of sanctions over alleged breaches of FIFA eligibility rules.

Fresh reports suggest that DR Congo, who edged the Super Eagles on penalties in November to claim Africa’s place in the Intercontinental Playoffs, may have fielded players who were not properly cleared to represent the country.

At the heart of the controversy are claims that several DR Congo players who switched national allegiance failed to complete the full eligibility process required by FIFA. The issue is further complicated by DR Congo’s legal position on citizenship, as the country does not officially recognise dual nationality. This raises questions over whether affected players formally renounced their previous nationalities before pulling on the DR Congo jersey.

Sources familiar with the matter also allege that some of the players involved were over the age of 21 but still held foreign passports at the time of the playoff match, a situation that could render them ineligible under FIFA regulations.

According to SCORENigeria, the case against DR Congo is said to be even stronger than a previous incident involving South Africa, who were penalised for fielding an ineligible player in a World Cup qualifier against Lesotho.

A petition has reportedly been submitted, challenging DR Congo’s participation in the playoff fixture. Should FIFA rule in favour of the complaint — and provided the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for Mexico have not yet been played — Nigeria could be handed an unexpected route back into contention.

For the Super Eagles and their supporters, the development offers renewed hope that the World Cup dream, which appeared all but over just weeks ago, may still be alive.

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