World Cup
Nigeria Waits in Vain as Uncertainty Clouds NFF Protest Against DR Congo
By Kunle Solaja.
In echoes of Waiting for Godot, the absurdist classic by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, Nigerians spent Monday in anxious anticipation of a verdict that never came. As of 6 pm in Nigeria, which is the same as the winter time in Switzerland, the home office of FIFA has no information. Official hours have already ended.
Across social media platforms, radio stations and football circles, February 16 had been widely assumed to be “judgment day” in the protest lodged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against the DR Congo Football Federation (FECOFA) over alleged player ineligibility in the decisive African play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
Yet by nightfall, there was no official communication from FIFA, no confirmation of a ruling, and no clarity on how the date had become associated with a final decision.
The Substance of the Protest
The NFF’s petition, formally filed on December 15, 2025, challenges the eligibility of at least six DR Congo players who featured in the November 2025 African play-off final in Rabat, Morocco. Among those specifically named are Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, both of whom have previously represented England at youth levels before switching international allegiance.
Nigeria’s argument rests on two principal pillars:
- Irregular switches of nationality: The NFF questions whether the players’ changes of international allegiance complied fully with FIFA’s statutes governing eligibility.
- Dual citizenship concerns: Nigeria further contends that the players hold European passports, which it claims conflicts with Congolese nationality laws prohibiting dual citizenship, and alleges that clearances may have been secured through misrepresentation.
The match itself ended 1–1 after regulation time, with DR Congo prevailing 4–3 on penalties, thereby eliminating the Super Eagles from the African pathway to the 2026 World Cup.
FECOFA has firmly denied the allegations, insisting that the players satisfied FIFA’s connection requirements and were lawfully issued Congolese documentation.
Legal Complexity Beyond the Pitch
At the heart of the dispute lies a familiar tension between domestic nationality laws and FIFA’s eligibility framework.
Under FIFA regulations, players may switch national associations if they meet defined criteria related to ancestry, birthplace, or residency, and provided they have not been cap-tied at senior competitive level.
However, FIFA’s system does not automatically defer to the internal citizenship restrictions of sovereign states in the same manner as national courts might.
This creates a grey area: even if a country’s constitution restricts dual nationality, the determining authority for international football eligibility remains FIFA’s Players’ Status Committee and, where necessary, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
Legal analysts note that for Nigeria to prevail, it would need to demonstrate not only inconsistencies in domestic law but also procedural breaches within FIFA’s transfer-of-association process, a far higher evidentiary threshold.
Should FIFA rule in Nigeria’s favour, the consequences would be seismic.
The Super Eagles could be reinstated into the Intercontinental Play-off tournament scheduled for next month in Mexico. In that event, Nigeria would likely face the winner of the Jamaica versus New Caledonia fixture for a final berth at the 2026 World Cup.
Such a ruling would not only alter the competitive landscape but also carry significant financial and reputational implications. Participation in the intercontinental play-off offers substantial revenue opportunities and the prospect of global exposure ahead of a World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Conversely, a dismissal of the protest would close Nigeria’s last competitive route to the tournament, intensifying scrutiny of administrative and technical decisions that led to elimination on the field.
For now, uncertainty prevails.
The absence of official confirmation regarding any verdict underscores the opaque nature of football’s judicial processes, where timelines are rarely publicised and rulings often emerge without advance notice.
As Monday ended without resolution, the atmosphere mirrored Beckett’s enduring metaphor — anticipation without arrival.
For Nigeria, the question remains not only whether justice will be served, but when — and in whose favour.
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The dream of Nigerian-descent forward Samu Aghehowa featuring for Spain at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup has been dealt a major setback after the 21-year-old suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Portuguese giants FC Porto.
Aghehowa is expected to be sidelined for several months after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament during Porto’s 1–1 draw with Sporting CP on Monday. The injury is set to rule him out for the remainder of the season and cast serious doubt over his availability for the World Cup in North America, which kicks off on June 11.
Born in Melilla to Nigerian parents, Aghehowa has been one of Europe’s rising young forwards. He has featured twice for Spain during their World Cup qualifying campaign and was widely regarded as a strong contender for a place in the squad for the global showpiece.
The striker, who won a gold medal with Spain at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, joined Porto from Atlético Madrid in August 2024 and has enjoyed a prolific spell in Portugal, scoring 32 league goals in just 50 appearances.
Confirming the setback, Aghehowa wrote on social media: “I’ll be out of action for a few months. It hurts me not being able to help the team as I’d like, fighting on the field. Now I’m just another fan supporting us towards our goals.”
For Nigerian football followers, the injury will spark renewed conversations about dual-nationality talents of Nigerian heritage making their mark abroad. While Aghehowa has already represented Spain at the senior level, his rapid rise has continued to attract attention back home, where fans closely monitor the progress of players with Nigerian roots across Europe.
With his recovery timeline uncertain, the immediate focus will be on successful surgery and rehabilitation. Whether he can beat the clock to feature at the World Cup now appears increasingly unlikely, turning what had been a breakthrough year into a period of rehabilitation and resilience for one of Europe’s brightest young strikers.
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Preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup are already generating significant economic momentum as Morocco, Spain and Portugal deepen strategic cooperation ahead of the historic tournament to be staged across two continents.
At the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, a flagship symbol of Morocco’s sporting and institutional development, public and private sector leaders from the three host nations gathered on Tuesday, February 10, 2025, for the Morocco–Spain–Portugal Business Forum dedicated to World Cup preparations.
The forum, co-organised by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) and the Portuguese Business Confederation (CIP), brought together decision-makers and business executives in the presence of Spain’s Ambassador to Morocco, Enrique Ojeda Vila, and Portugal’s Chargé d’Affaires in Rabat, Nuno Gabriel Cabral.
The 2030 tournament, awarded jointly to Morocco, Spain and Portugal, will mark the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 and will be the first edition staged across Africa and Europe.
Speaking at the forum, Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, described the venue as reflective of Morocco’s long-term development vision.
“This complex reflects the enlightened vision of His Majesty the King for the development of sport and for designing and monitoring a development model for Moroccan youth, and indeed youth at the continental and global levels,” Lekjaa said, noting that the facility hosts a permanent FIFA office and serves as a global hub for football development.
He highlighted the scale of coordination required for a tournament that could see national teams playing across multiple cities in different countries within days.
Morocco–Spain–Portugal Business Forum in session at the iconic Mohammed VI Football Complex
“A national team may play its first match in Madrid, the second in Marrakech, and the third in Lisbon,” he said, stressing the need for seamless logistics, transport integration, security alignment and infrastructure harmonisation.
Lekjaa also pointed to Morocco’s successful staging of the recent Africa Cup of Nations as a major rehearsal for 2030, noting that Moroccan companies and professionals delivered the event entirely.
CGEM President Chakib Alj described the World Cup as a catalyst for structural transformation beyond football.
“This highly anticipated event brings together companies and decision-makers from our three countries around a clear and shared ambition: to invest together, innovate together and create value together,” Alj said.
He detailed major infrastructure projects underway in Morocco, including the doubling of capacity at six major airports, a nearly 30 per cent expansion of the highway network, and the extension of the high-speed rail line linking Kenitra to Marrakech. Strategic logistics hubs such as Nador West Med and the Atlantic Port are also part of the development blueprint.
According to Alj, Morocco’s hosting of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations generated direct economic returns estimated at over €2 billion against roughly €1 billion invested in sports infrastructure, creating more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and mobilising over 3,000 Moroccan companies.
Stakeholders at the forum agreed that the 2030 World Cup represents more than a sporting event. Instead, it is being positioned as a long-term platform for economic integration, regional value-chain strengthening and sustainable growth across North Africa and Southern Europe.
With coordination already intensifying between Rabat, Madrid and Lisbon, preparations for 2030 appear firmly anchored in a vision that seeks to deliver not only a successful tournament, but a durable economic and developmental legacy.
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A coalition of civil and human rights organisations on Friday issued a statewide travel alert for Florida ahead of this year’s World Cup soccer tournament.
They warned international visitors that stepped-up immigration enforcement could increase the risk of racial profiling, wrongful detention and deportation.
The groups said they were urging tourists and visiting fans to “exercise extreme caution,” carry identification at all times and register travel plans with their consulates before arriving.
They also advised travellers to reconsider visiting the state until what they described as a lack of accountability and transparency in enforcement practices is addressed.
“Florida is no longer a safe destination for international tourists,” Tessa Petit, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a statement, alleging that visitors and residents could be detained without cause and targeted based on appearance, language or accent.
Florida tourism officials blasted the travel alert.
“These ‘advisories’ are ridiculous and, unfortunately, politically-motivated stunts that needlessly seek to harm our state and industry,” said Bryan Griffin, President and CEO of tourism group Visit Florida.
“Lawful visitors to our state have no reason to be concerned. Florida welcomes hundreds of thousands of travelers daily and is looking forward to being a hub for World Cup celebrations for residents and travelers alike,” he said.
“Visitors can expect an enjoyable, safe, and easy travel experience in Florida.”
The coalition pointed to reports by journalists and civil rights groups describing cases in which U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and tourists were detained after routine encounters with law enforcement, including traffic stops.
The organisations also cited accounts of people being held for extended periods with limited access to lawyers or consular assistance. Reuters could not independently verify the specific incidents described in the advisory.
Florida has expanded cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities to allow trained local officers to perform certain immigration-enforcement functions, the coalition said.
Civil liberties advocates have argued that such arrangements can lead to over-policing of immigrant communities, while supporters say the programs enhance public safety.
The travel alert comes as the United States prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup from June 11 to July 19. The event is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of international visitors across multiple host cities. Miami will host seven matches.
The U.S. is co-hosting the expanded 48-team global tournament with neighbours Canada and Mexico.
-Reuters
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