The Nigeria Football Federation has launched an appeal following the decision of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee to dismiss its protest against the Democratic Republic of Congo national football team, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The protest stemmed from a decisive 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff, where both sides played out a 1–1 draw after regulation and extra time before DR Congo secured a 4–3 victory via penalty shootout.
The NFF raised concerns about the eligibility of certain Congolese players, alleging irregularities in passport issuance that allowed them to play in the match.
Reacting to the ruling, NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi confirmed that the federation is dissatisfied with the outcome and has already begun the appeal process.
“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition,” Sanusi told thenff.com.
“I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.”
With the initial complaint dismissed, the NFF will now pursue the matter through FIFA’s judicial channels in a bid to overturn the verdict.