When FIFA finally dismissed Nigeria’s petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) instantly said it wasn’t satisfied with the verdict and immediately announced its decision to go on appeal.

The NFF had written a petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo on the issue of eligibility of some players used by that country in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Playoff match against the Super Eagles in Rabat, Morocco on November 16, 2025, with Nigeria losing 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 draw in regulation time.

“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,” said NFF general secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.

Since the NFF only announced that it had commenced the process, nobody can say for sure if the body actually filed its appeal at the Court of Arbitration (CAS), which is the final bus stop as far as this case is concerned. Saying ‘I have commenced the process’ is not the same as ‘I have done it.’ So, most Nigerians are still wondering if the NFF has kept its word.

It would be recalled that soon after FIFA made the announcement, a veteran sports journalist, Kunle Solja, speaking with Vanguard, cited a source within FIFA, who had told him that NFF’s complaint failed to meet the strict procedural requirements outlined in Article 8 of the Regulations Governing the Preliminary Competition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The protest was submitted on November 28, 2025 – nearly two weeks after the match – well outside the mandatory timeline.

“Protests regarding the eligibility of players must be communicated to the match commissioner within two hours of the completion of the match and followed by a detailed written submission within 24 hours,” Solaja quoted from the regulations.

However, it was alleged that the required protest fee of 1,000 Swiss francs was not paid, meaning the case was never formally processed by FIFA’s judicial bodies. If indeed the NFF was that lackadaisical, there is no guarantee that the federation will act differently this time despite its well publicised decision to go to the CAS.

While the NFF is running helter-skelter to snatch the play-off ticket from DR Congo, the FIFA Inter-continental play-offs commenced on Thursday in Mexico without the Super Eagles. Instead, the former African champions were preparing to play two international friendlies against Iran and Jordan in Turkiye. Honestly, if you ask many Nigerians, that wasn’t where they wanted their team to be at that moment.

Anyway, even as it is obvious that Nigeria has missed another opportunity to compete in the most glamorous football competition on earth, the NFF is still hoping against hope, making many Nigerians to conclude that those responsible for the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2026 World Cup are using diversionary tactics to reduce pressure from angry Nigerians.

Of course, only an incurable optimist will think that even if DR Congo eventually picks the World Cup ticket, the CAS would direct FIFA to hand it over to Nigeria. It will no doubt be recorded as another travesty of justice if such a decision is taken against the Central African country.

It is indeed difficult to understand what is motivating the NFF to go on this wild goose chase. However, there is a saying that if a prisoner slaps a warden on the face, he knows what he is hiding in his boxers. Maybe the NFF is seeing what many of us can’t see with ordinary eyes.

Personally, I think I have an idea of why the NFF is refusing to let go of the 2026 World Cup ticket. This is another election year and the present leadership wishes to have a bargaining power. Unfortunately, the precious ticket, which could have served this purpose, is missing. This is no doubt a major setback; and the leadership is still praying for a miracle.

Historically, no president of the NFF who failed to deliver the World Cup ticket was rewarded with a second term. When the Super Eagles couldn’t qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Pa Ibrahim Galadima paid the price for that disappointment. The same thing happened to Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick in 2022.

After the disasters, Pa Galadima, a distinguished Nigerian who made the infamous statement: “World Cup isn’t Nigeria’s birthright,” respected himself and walked away quietly, but an audacious Pinnick made clandestine moves to go for a third term but was forced to drop his ambition when he saw the writing on the wall.

Early this week, the Extra-Ordinary General Assembly of the NFF announced September 26, 2026 as the date for its elective congress to be held in Lafia. Although the incumbent president, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau is yet to publicly declare his intention to contest, there is nothing to suggest that he is not interested.

Moreover, unlike his immediate predecessor, Gusau’s reign as NFF president has brought relative peace to Nigerian football. Apart from his conscientious efforts to uplift and reposition the sport, his humility and readiness to not only tolerate but accommodate the views of almost all stakeholders have endeared him to many. He is definitely not as confrontational as the man he succeeded.

However, the Zamfara State born football administrator must be cursing his luck and asking why the Super Eagles failed him and other Nigerians. Without a doubt, those who are planning to take a shot at the NFF presidency will certainly use the World Cup failure to campaign against him.

All the same, if I were Gusau, I wouldn’t worry too much about the latest misfortune and the implication on my political ambition. This is because most Nigerians no longer see the World Cup ticket as our birthright. By the way, Pa Galadima saw and proclaimed this so many years ago. So, having accepted this painful reality, Nigerians now move on easily even after a major football tragedies.

I, therefore, urge Gusau not to succumb to anyone’s pressure or intimidation. If any opponent feels he does not deserve a second term because Nigeria missed another World Cup ticket, he can confidently respond that World Cup failure didn’t start with him and it is not going to end with him.

This sounds like good music to the ears, but come September 26, it may not be a stroll in the park for the NFF leadership. Already, a former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has called for all those responsible for the World Cup flop to exit the “glasshouse.” Some of his contemporaries are also queuing behind him, thereby adding to the pressure on the NFF.

Maybe this is why the NFF is still hitting its head against the wall, even as it is glaring that the 2026 World Cup ticket has been won and lost. (Daily Trust)

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