The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reportedly sent its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo over an allegedly ineligible player to the wrong FIFA email address, a development that has added to the controversy surrounding Nigeria’s failed World Cup protest.
The petition followed Nigeria’s elimination by DR Congo in the African World Cup play-off final in Rabat, Morocco, where both teams played a 1–1 draw before DR Congo won 4–3 on penalties.
The NFF had challenged the eligibility of DR Congo players, including goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who had previously represented France at youth level.
However, FIFA reportedly dismissed Nigeria’s complaint as inadmissible, citing procedural issues, including the manner and timing of the submission. According to a source familiar with the matter, the NFF sent the petition to FIFA’s General Secretary’s email instead of the appropriate legal channel.
The source questioned the decision, noting that official complaints are often received through the General Secretary’s office before being forwarded to the relevant department.
The NFF was also reportedly faulted for submitting the complaint outside FIFA’s stipulated deadline for eligibility protests.
The development has sparked fresh criticism of the handling of Nigeria’s case, particularly following reports that FIFA officials were aware of questions surrounding the eligibility of the DR Congo player.
FIFA, however, has maintained that there were no eligibility issues affecting DR Congo and upheld the decision to reject Nigeria’s protest.