The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has expressed strong confidence in Nigeria’s position as FIFA reviews concerns over the eligibility of certain Democratic Republic of Congo players during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking on Friday on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Dikko described Nigeria’s case as “very tight,” emphasizing that the eligibility issues were identified well before Nigeria’s playoff defeat to DR Congo.
According to Dikko, the scrutiny of DR Congo’s squad did not arise as a reaction to the loss, but from careful monitoring after the squad was announced on November 1, ahead of the November 13 playoff fixtures. Officials became concerned when players of other nationalities were included without FIFA clearance at the time.
He explained: “When we saw the squad named on November 1 for the playoffs on November 13, we noticed that the Congolese had included players of other nationalities who had not yet received FIFA clearance. That was an alarm, so we started monitoring closely, even though the players were not yet fielded. The issue didn’t start because we lost; we were watching the process, and then found out a day before the qualifiers that they were obtaining clearances.”
Dikko highlighted the suspicious timing, noting that the players only received FIFA clearance a day before the qualifiers, prompting deeper investigation. He referenced a prior case with South Africa, where points were deducted for fielding an ineligible player, illustrating that FIFA strictly enforces eligibility rules.
He added: “It is the responsibility of a federation to ensure passports are issued according to the law. You cannot just issue a passport and change someone’s nationality. If this isn’t done properly, it affects the integrity of the game.”
While acknowledging Nigeria’s defeat, Dikko stressed that the country’s actions are guided by rules and legality rather than emotion: “Yes, we lost, and everyone was understandably angry. We are not sore losers. We consult our legal team and international lawyers, review the laws, and found suspicions that some clearances may have involved misrepresentations to FIFA.”
