Nigeria clutches at straws in hopes of a place in the World Cup

2025-12-17 14:57 © „Reuters“

The Nigerian national team will not play in the upcoming World Cup.

One of the strongest African teams failed to overcome the qualifiers and lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo in a decisive match after a penalty shootout, where they will compete in the world championships next summer.

However, the Nigerian Football Federation is trying to grasp at straws and obtain the right to play in the World Cup.

ESPN reports that Nigeria has filed a complaint with FIFA regarding several players from the Democratic Republic of Congo who allegedly should not have been able to play in the qualifying matches.

The Nigerian Football Federation took issue with the fact that at least several players in the opponent's team hold dual citizenship, which is prohibited under the laws of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Congolese laws prohibit dual citizenship. At least several players from this team have European passports. For now, we cannot comment further, but we have submitted a complaint to FIFA,” said the Secretary General of the Nigerian Football Federation, Mohammed Sanusi.