The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has issued a stern warning to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following Nigeria’s petition to FIFA over the alleged fielding of ineligible players during the 2026 World Cup playoff match.

In a pointed statement shared on the national team’s official 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) account, DR Congo accused Nigeria of attempting to secure a World Cup spot through administrative tactics rather than on-field performance.

“If you can’t win on the pitch, don’t try to win from the back door. The World Cup must be played with dignity and confidence, not with legal tricks. Bring it on,” the post read.

Nigeria, which lost to DR Congo on penalties in the November playoff encounter, confirmed that it had formally filed a petition with FIFA citing potential violations of player eligibility rules.

The petition claims that several Congolese players who recently switched national allegiance may not have completed the necessary procedures under FIFA’s nationality regulations. A key issue is dual citizenship, which is not recognised under Congolese law. The NFF argued that some players holding European passports—including French, Dutch, and British documents—may have breached these requirements.

NFF Secretary General Dr. Mohammed Sanusi explained that FIFA initially cleared the players based on documentation submitted by the DR Congo Football Federation.

“We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship or nationality. Wan-Bissaka has a European passport, and there are others with French and Dutch passports. The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition,” Sanusi said.

He emphasized that Nigeria’s protest is not intended to undermine FIFA but to ensure that the global governing body is not misled.

“FIFA goes by its own regulations, and it was on the basis of what was submitted to FIFA that they cleared them. What we are saying is that it was fraudulent,” he added.