FIFA dismisses Nigeria’s appeal regarding Congolese dual citizens for World Cup.
The Disciplinary Committee of FIFA has dismissed Nigeria’s appeal regarding the eligibility of several players utilized by Congo DR in the African World Cup playoff last November, as announced by the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday.
The NFF indicated that it has promptly initiated the appeals process.
“We have received the ruling from the FIFA Disciplinary Committee concerning our petition, but we are not content with the outcome, which denied our request,” stated NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi in a release. “I want to reassure Nigerians that the NFF has swiftly begun the appeal process.”
This appeal is anticipated to be submitted to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but it remains uncertain whether the appeals process will be finalized before the intercontinental playoffs commence on March 26. Congo DR is set to compete in that round on March 31, with a chance to qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico at stake.
The DRC has not publicly addressed the ruling.
The NFF lodged its protest with FIFA shortly after Congo DR triumphed over Nigeria 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 tie in regulation and extra time, in the CAF World Cup playoffs final on November 16 at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. This outcome advanced Congo DR to the intercontinental playoff stage.
Nigeria’s grievance, which was supported by Cameroon in a separate appeal, claimed that between six and nine players employed by Congo DR during the qualifying campaign improperly changed their international affiliations. The NFF asserted that these players had not surrendered their European passports as mandated by Congolese law, which does not acknowledge dual citizenship.
“The Congolese regulations state that dual nationality is not permitted,” Sanusi informed reporters at that time. “Many of them possess European passports, some hold French passports, while others have Dutch passports. The regulations are explicit.”
However, FIFA’s regulations differ from Congolese domestic law. FIFA stipulates that a player must only possess a valid passport from the nation they represent, a requirement that all the contested players satisfied by holding valid Congolese passports. It was on this basis that FIFA initially authorized their participation.
Nonetheless, the NFF argued that FIFA was misled into granting those approvals.
“FIFA regulations state that once you possess the passport of your country, you are eligible. From our perspective, they are eligible, which is why FIFA cleared them,” Sanusi remarked. “However, our position is that FIFA was misled into granting them clearance because it is not FIFA’s duty to ensure compliance with Congolese regulations.”
Congo DR has been scheduled to face the victor of the semifinal match between New Caledonia and Jamaica in the intercontinental playoff. The winner of this encounter will secure one of the last available spots at the World Cup.
