By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has commenced the process of appealing FIFA’s decision rejecting its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo regarding the eligibility of certain players used in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff match against Nigeria in Rabat, Morocco, on November 16, 2025.
NFF General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi said, “We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the outcome. The NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.”
The petition, filed days after the match, alleged irregularities in the issuance of passports that allowed several DR Congo players to participate.
The playoff, held at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium, ended 1–1 after regulation and extra time, with DR Congo winning 4–3 in a sudden-death penalty shootout.
With FIFA’s initial ruling dismissing the protest, the NFF is now pursuing a review through the appeal process in an effort to potentially overturn the decision and revisit the outcome of the tie.