Nigeria Football Federation to appeal FIFA Verdict

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), yesterday, said that it has commenced the process of appealing the decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to reject its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo, which it accused of fielding ineligible players in a 2026 World Cup playoff match against the Super Eagles, in Rabat, Morocco last year.
 
DR Congo defeated Nigeria 4-3 after a penalty shootout to qualify as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation playoff scheduled for March 27 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
 
Followers had been apprehensive that the decision could go against Nigeria following FIFA’s recent utterances, particularly its focus on the DR Congo team ahead of the March 27 playoff.
   
These fears were confirmed yesterday, when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in a statement, said that it has started the process of appealing FIFA’s decision to throw out its petition.
 
The NFF through its secretary general, Mohammed Sanusi, said: “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. I want to assure Nigerians that the NFF has immediately commenced the process of appealing the decision.” 
  
The NFF had presented a petition to world football-governing body, FIFA days after the said match, based on perceived fraud in the issuance of passports that qualified a number of players of the Democratic Republic of Congo for the Play-offs.
  
The match, played at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, was the Final of the African Play-offs. The Democratic Republic of Congo won in a sudden-death penalty shootout, after both teams were tied at 1-1 following regulation and extra time.
  
Former Spartans of Owerri, JIB Rocks of Jos and Vasco Da Gama defender, Theodore Chukwuemeka, said that the NFF knew the outcome of its appeal all along hence its decision to feature the Super Eagles in a four-nation tournament billed to hold almost the same time that Mexico would be hosting the inter-confederation playoff.
  
He said: “The African representative will meet either Jamaica or New Caledonia in Mexico on March 31 to decide who qualifies for the World Cup. That is the same time Nigeria is billed to participate in the four-nation playoff in Turkey.

“According to the fixtures, Nigeria will meet Iran in Turkey on March 27 and meet Jordan on March 31, which is the same day of the inter-continental play-off.
 
“There must be something the NFF is not telling Nigerians.”