FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee rejected Nigeria’s protest over the eligibility of several players used by Congo DR in last November’s African World Cup playoff, the Nigeria Football Federation announced Monday.
The NFF said it has immediately commenced the appeals process.
“We have received the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on our petition, but we are not satisfied with the decision, which rejected our petition,” NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi said in a statement. “I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.”
That appeal is now expected to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but whether the appeals process will be concluded before the intercontinental playoffs begin March 26 remains unclear. Congo DR are scheduled to play in that round on March 31, with a berth at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico on the line.
The DRC have not commented publicly on the ruling.
The NFF filed its protest with FIFA days after Congo DR defeated Nigeria 4-3 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw through regulation and extra time, in the final of the CAF World Cup playoffs on Nov. 16 at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco. The result sent Congo DR through to the intercontinental playoff stage.
Nigeria’s complaint, which was joined by Cameroon in a separate petition, alleged that between six and nine players used by Congo DR during the qualifying series improperly switched international allegiances. The NFF argued those players had not relinquished their European passports as required under Congolese law, which does not recognize dual citizenship.
“The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual nationality,” Sanusi told reporters at the time. “There are so many of them that have European passports, some of them French passports, some of them Dutch passports. The rules are very clear.”
FIFA’s own regulations, however, differ from Congolese domestic law. FIFA requires only that a player hold a valid passport from the country they represent, a standard all the disputed players met through possession of valid Congolese passports. It was on that basis that FIFA initially cleared them to play.
Still, the NFF contended that FIFA were misled into granting those clearances.
“FIFA regulations say once you have the passport of your country, you are eligible. As far as we are concerned, they are eligible, that is why they are cleared by FIFA,” Sanusi said. “But our contention is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them because it is not the responsibility of FIFA to make sure that the regulations of Congo are abided by.”
Congo DR has been drawn to face the winner of the semifinal between New Caledonia and Jamaica in the intercontinental playoff. The winner of that match will claim one of the final available spots at the World Cup.
