By Samuel Olusegun Precious
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been thrown into fresh controversy after reports that FIFA knew DR Congo fielded an ineligible goalkeeper against the Super Eagles but rejected Nigeria’s complaint.
DR Congo defeated Nigeria 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the CAF play-off final on November 16, 2025 in Rabat, Morocco, ending Nigeria’s hopes of making a second consecutive World Cup.
The Leopards went on to beat Jamaica in the intercontinental play-off in March 2026 to qualify for their first World Cup in 52 years.
According to a joint investigation by The New York Times and Le Monde published on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, FIFA’s legal department had privately determined that DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau was ineligible.The documents reviewed showed Mpasi, a former France youth international, had not completed the required paperwork to switch his international allegiance to DR Congo when he was first called up in 2021.
He played five qualifiers including the win over Nigeria. The Nigeria Football Federation formally petitioned FIFA in December 2025, questioning the eligibility of several foreign-born DR Congo players.FIFA’s disciplinary officials, according to the report, drafted several options including awarding the match to Nigeria, allowing Nigeria to replace DR Congo in the play-off against Jamaica, or dismissing the complaint on technical grounds of late filing.
FIFA eventually declared Nigeria’s protest inadmissible. In a statement on Tuesday, the world body said the decision was communicated to Nigeria in early March 2026 and became final and binding after no proper appeal was lodged.
FIFA also said its disciplinary code allows it to act ex officio even without a complaint, but no action was taken.The controversy has been heightened by the relationship between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and DR Congo FA President Véron Mosengo-Omba.
Mosengo-Omba, a close friend and university colleague of Infantino in Switzerland, served as CAF General Secretary before being elected DR Congo FA President unopposed in May 2026, two months after the World Cup qualification. At the time FIFA was reviewing the eligibility case, Mosengo-Omba was preparing his bid for the presidency.
Former FIFA official Prince Zul was quoted as saying sanctioning DR Congo could have damaged Mosengo-Omba’s prospects.
FIFA has denied any interference.”FIFA strongly rejects these unfounded allegations,” the body said, adding that Infantino has no role in eligibility decisions, which are handled by independent judicial bodies.
The report noted that in previous cases FIFA was tougher. In 2016 Greece forfeited a match 3-0 against Turkey for fielding an ineligible player who had played for Australia’s youth teams, while Bolivia had two 2018 World Cup qualifying results overturned for fielding a player who had represented Paraguay.
The NFF is yet to issue an official reaction to the latest revelations.
