“Focus on Afcon” — Congolese football director hits back as NFF takes DR Congo case to FIFA

NFF's petition to FIFA over DR Congo player eligibility has sparked mixed reactions in the African football community, with calls for the Super Eagles to concentrate on their Africa Cup of Nations campaign….

Former West Ham United defender and DR Congo international Herita Ilunga has weighed in on Nigeria’s petition to FIFA over alleged player eligibility breaches, Soccernet.ng reports. 

Nigeria’s renewed hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have continued to generate debate after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) formally petitioned FIFA over alleged player eligibility breaches by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The petition followed Nigeria’s dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat to DR Congo in the African playoff final, which appeared to end the Super Eagles’ World Cup dream.

As FIFA reviews the complaint, the former DR Congo international has urged Nigerians to shift their attention away from the legal dispute and focus instead on the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ex-West Ham defender reacts to NFF petition

Ilunga, who represented DR Congo at international level and spent time in the Premier League with West Ham, shared his view on social media after news of the petition broke.

Writing in French, the former defender suggested that FIFA’s decisions are based on sporting nationality rather than domestic legal frameworks.

“FIFA does not think in terms of legal nationality but in terms of sporting nationality. If that is true, I advise my Nigerian brothers to focus instead on the Afcon,” Ilunga wrote.

La FIFA raisonne pas en terme de nationalité juridique mais en nationalité sportive. Si c’est vrai, je vous conseille chers frères Nijas de vous concentrer plutôt sur la CAN https://t.co/9NmPUj2EGL

— Herita ILUNGA (@Herita23) December 16, 2025

Background to Nigeria’s complaint against DR Congo

Nigeria’s petition centres on claims that several DR Congo players who featured in the playoff final may not have been eligible under Congolese national law, which does not permit dual nationality.

The NFF argues that some players allegedly retained European passports and may not have completed the required nationality switch process.

NFF Secretary General Dr Mohammed Sanusi has confirmed that the matter has been formally submitted to FIFA, insisting the federation acted after studying both FIFA statutes and Congolese law.

While FIFA had cleared the players to feature, Nigeria believes that approval may have been granted based on misleading information provided during the eligibility process.

The case is now with FIFA, whose decision will determine whether DR Congo breached any regulations and whether sanctions could follow.