Core of Nigeria’s complaint revolves around two main points: DR Congo’s Dual Nationality Law and deception of FIFA

*Super Eagles celebrate Wilfred Ndidi on his 29th birthday. Photo by Phill Magakoe/AFP. Source: Getty Images*

By Ed Emeanua (With Multiple Sources)

Nigeria’s protest to FIFA against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a formal complaint to the World football governing body over the eligibility of several players who represented DR Congo in a crucial World Cup playoff match between the two nations on November 16, 2025.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) alleges a likely fraud occurred before the game that could see Nigeria replace DR Congo in the intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 World Cup in March 2026.

Core of the Protest

The core of Nigeria’s complaint revolves around two main points:

DR Congo’s Dual Nationality Law: The NFF argues that Congolese national constitution does not permit dual citizenship. They point out that several DR Congo players, such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, hold European passports and have not formally renounced their previous citizenship, which should render them ineligible to represent DR Congo under the country’s laws.

Deception of FIFA: While FIFA regulations typically consider a player eligible if they hold a valid passport for the country they represent, the NFF contends that FIFA was deceived into clearing these players based on incomplete or misleading information. The NFF’s position is that the players did not follow the proper process required by Congolese domestic law for a valid nationality switch.

The Context

The Match: Nigeria lost to DR Congo in the final of the African World Cup qualification playoffs via a penalty shootout. The winner advanced to the intercontinental playoffs for a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

The Goal: If FIFA finds in Nigeria’s favor, the Super Eagles hope the match result will be overturned, potentially allowing them to advance to the intercontinental playoffs instead of DR Congo.

DR Congo’s Response: The Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) has dismissed the NFF complaint as an attempt to “win via the back door” and branded Nigeria as “bad losers”. Fecofa argue that FIFA’s rules govern player eligibility at the international level, not a country’s civil nationality laws, and that all their players were cleared by FIFA.

FIFA has acknowledged the complaint and opened an investigation into the matter.

Several Congolese players had European passports (French, Dutch) and were ineligible under FIFA’s rules for representing DR Congo, despite holding Congolese citizenship.

Breach of FIFA Statutes: Nigeria’s complaint focused on what they viewed as a breach of FIFA’s clear rules on player registration and eligibility, potentially impacting the outcome of their World Cup qualifying match.

This complaint arose after DR Congo defeated Nigeria in a penalty shootout to advance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, a loss that eliminated Nigeria from World Cup contention.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has faced issues with procedural rules in two main areas: driving offenses in 2021 (disqualified driving, no insurance, failing to provide details) and a recent FIFA eligibility probe (December 2025) where DR Congo fielded him without full FIFA clearance for his nationality switch, leading to potential sanctions against the team, though he was later cleared.

International Football (2025)

FIFA Eligibility: DR Congo played Wan-Bissaka in a World Cup qualifier against Nigeria despite his nationality switch from England not being fully approved by FIFA at the time, violating eligibility rules.

DR Congo

Team Sanction: This led to Nigeria petitioning FIFA, with DR Congo facing penalties (like losing the match) for fielding an ineligible player, though Wan-Bissaka had since completed his switch and become eligible.

Nigeria’s protest to FIFA primarily focused on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but the NFF also claimed that several other players were ineligible, specifically naming Mario Stroeykens, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, and Matthieu Epolo . The NFF’s general complaint alleges that up to nine players were involved in eligibility issues. The specific points raised by Nigeria regarding these players are:

Aaron Wan-Bissaka: The main issue is the claim that his nationality switch from England to DR Congo was not fully completed and approved by FIFA at the time of the match against Nigeria.

Mario Stroeykens, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, and Matthieu Epolo: These three players previously represented Belgium at the youth level before switching allegiance to DR Congo. Their eligibility, along with others, is under scrutiny regarding the correct process for nationality switches and the application of DR Congo’s dual citizenship laws.
Dual Citizenship Laws: The NFF contends that because Congolese law does not permit dual citizenship, players holding other European passports (e.g., French or Dutch) should be considered ineligible to represent DR Congo internationally.

FIFA is currently investigating

To switch national teams (associations), a player must meet specific criteria outlined in the FIFA Statutes . While a player typically cannot switch after representing a senior national team in an official competition, recent updates (2021) allow for a one-time change under strict conditions.

Core Requirements for a Switch

A player may request a change of association if they fulfill one of the following “genuine link” conditions to the new country:

Birth: The player was born in the territory of the new association.
Lineage: A biological parent or grandparent was born in the territory.
Residency: The player has lived on the territory for at least five years after the age of 18 (or a shorter period if they moved as a child).

Eligibility Criteria for Switching (Updated Rules

A player who has already played for one association can only switch if they meet all of these conditions:

Limited Caps: The player featured in no more than three competitive senior matches for their first nation.
Age Restriction: All appearances for the first nation must have occurred before the player turned 21.
No Major Finals: The player must not have played in the final stage of a major tournament (e.g., World Cup finals or continental finals like the Euros or AFCON).
Waiting Period: At least three years must have passed since the player’s last senior appearance for their previous national team.
Prior Nationality: The player must have held the nationality of the new association at the time of their first official appearance for the previous association.

Administrative Process

Formal Request: A switch is not automatic. The player must submit a written, substantiated request to the FIFA General Secretariat.

Ineligibility Period: While a request is being processed, the player is prohibited from playing for any national team until a final decision is reached.
Civil vs. Sporting Nationality: FIFA determines “sporting nationality” based on its own regulations, which may differ from a country’s domestic citizenship laws.

There are conflicting reports, but the core issue is whether Aaron Wan-Bissaka had final FIFA clearance to play for DR Congo against Nigeria in their recent playoff, with Nigeria filing a complaint alleging he didn’t have proper approval due to DRC’s dual nationality laws, while some sources claim he was cleared by FIFA in August 2025, meaning Nigeria’s challenge might be based on internal Congolese law, not FIFA rules, making his eligibility a major point of contention.

Arguments for Ineligibility (Nigeria’s Stance):

Nigeria claims Wan-Bissaka lacked full FIFA approval for his nationality switch because DR Congo doesn’t recognize dual citizenship, and he retained European nationality.

They argue FIFA was deceived into clearing him and that his Congolese passport might be irregular under Congolese law, which Nigeria believes invalidates his eligibility.

Arguments for Eligibility (DR Congo/Some Sources):

Some reports state FIFA approved his switch on August 22, 2025, making him eligible to play.

A FIFA official dismissed disqualification fears, saying no official complaint was received and Wan-Bissaka was deemed eligible, as FIFA only judges the validity of a state-issued passport, not internal citizenship laws.
The Situation:
The Situation:Nigeria has officially complained to FIFA, pushing for DR Congo’s disqualification, which could grant Nigeria a World Cup spot.

FIFA’s verdict on this complaint is pending, but reports from those aligned with DR Congo suggest Nigeria’s challenge is weak as FIFA follows its own rules, not domestic laws.

FIFA explicitly prohibits the use of fraudulently obtained passports and documentation for nationality switches and punishes this behavior severely.

. FIFA has a robust system to verify the legitimacy of documents and investigates cases where fraud is suspected.

Key points regarding FIFA’s stance and actions:

Fraud is Prohibited: FIFA views the use of doctored or fake documentation as a form of cheating and a breach of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning forgery and falsification.
Investigations and Sanctions: FIFA conducts its own investigations to verify the authenticity of documents, such as birth certificates and passports, used to establish eligibility.
Penalties: Associations and players found to have used fraudulent documents face significant penalties, including fines, player suspensions, and potential match forfeitures.
Collaboration with Authorities: When fraud is discovered, FIFA may notify relevant criminal authorities in the involved countries so that appropriate legal proceedings may be pursued.
Case Example (Malaysia FA): In a recent case, FIFA sanctioned the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and suspended seven players after discovering that FAM had submitted “doctored documentation” (altered birth certificates) to make it appear that the players’ grandparents were born in Malaysia, thus qualifying them under the “grandfather rule”.

While FIFA requires a valid national passport as the only proof of a player’s identity and nationality for eligibility, the organization independently verifies the underlying basis for that nationality, especially when a change of association is involved, to ensure compliance with its own stringent regulations on sporting nationality and a clear connection to the country.

FIFA rules for nationality switches require a player to hold the

permanent nationality (citizenship) of the country they wish to represent under civil law. FIFA does not override national laws regarding the acquisition of citizenship, but it does impose additional sporting criteria that must be met for a player to be eligible to represent that nation’s team.

Key Rules on Civil Laws

Permanent Nationality is Essential: The fundamental requirement is that a player must hold the permanent nationality (citizenship) of the association they wish to represent, and this nationality must not be dependent on residence in that country. Temporary residence or a mere “right” to obtain a passport is generally not sufficient; the player must actually possess the passport/citizenship.

Civil Law Governs Citizenship Acquisition: FIFA defers to individual countries’ civil laws on how a person obtains citizenship (e.g., through birth, descent, or naturalization).
FIFA Imposes Sporting Criteria: Holding a passport is the starting point, but FIFA adds its own strict “sporting nationality” requirements to ensure a genuine connection to the country. These are outlined in Articles 5-8 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes.

FIFA Sporting Criteria (in addition to citizenship)

A player must meet at least one of the following conditions to be eligible for a national team:

Birth: The player was born on the territory of the relevant association.
Parental/Grand parental Link: The player has a biological parent or grandparent who was born on the territory of the relevant association.
Residency: The player has lived continuously on the territory of the relevant association for a specified period (e.g., five years after the age of 18, or three to five years if they moved as a child, depending on age and specific agreements between associations).

Nationality Switch Specifics

If a player wishes to switch associations after having already represented one at an official level, the following strict conditions apply:

They must not have played a competitive senior-level (full “A” international) match for their first association at the time of their first appearance for that team.

New rules introduced in 2021 allow a switch if the player played no more than three senior competitive matches, all before turning 21, and at least three years have passed since their last cap.
They cannot have participated in a final tournament of the FIFA World Cup or a continental confederation competition (like the Euros).
The player must have held the nationality of the new association at the time of their first competitive appearance for the first association.

In essence, while civil law determines if a player can hold a passport, FIFA rules determine if that player is eligible to play international football based on genuine sporting ties and caps history. All requests for a change of association are reviewed by the FIFA Football Tribunal on a case-by-case basis.

FIFA’s interpretation involves a dual check: players must meet FIFA’s criteria (like residency/ancestry for switching) and comply with the domestic laws of both their old and new countries , with FIFA investigating claims that DR Congo players might have obtained passports without fully meeting Congolese legal requirements, potentially deceiving FIFA into granting clearance, leading to an ongoing investigation into match forfeitures and sanctions.

FIFA’s Stance & Investigation

Dual Compliance: FIFA rules require players switching nationality to fulfill requirements under both FIFA statutes and the national laws of both associations involved

DR Congo’s Situation: Nigeria filed a complaint alleging that several DR Congo players were cleared by FIFA despite potentially not completing the necessary legal steps under Congolese law (which has strict rules, possibly against dual citizenship).
FIFA’s Role: FIFA issues clearances based on presented documentation, but the investigation questions if they were misled about domestic legal compliance
Key Issues & Confusion
Passport vs. Eligibility: Holding a passport doesn’t automatically grant eligibility; proper administrative processes for the nationality switch must be completed, explains Facebook.

Conflicting Interpretations: The core conflict is between FIFA’s broad rules (which allow switches under specific conditions, like residency/ancestry) and potentially strict, conflicting Congolese civil laws
Potential Sanctions: Outcomes could range from match forfeitures to broader disciplinary actions against DR Congo, affecting their World Cup qualification, notes Arise News and Facebook Current Status
FIFA is actively investigating the matter, with a decision awaited.