Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup through the intercontinental playoff remain alive, according to Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko.
Dikko said the country is still awaiting an official decision from FIFA regarding Nigeria’s protest over a qualification match against DR Congo, despite recent announcements that appeared to confirm the Congolese side’s participation in the playoff tournament.
Earlier this week, FIFA released details of the intercontinental playoffs scheduled to take place in Mexico, listing DR Congo among the six teams expected to compete for the final two places at the expanded tournament.
The announcement led many Nigerian supporters to believe the country’s petition had already been rejected.
However, Dikko insists no final ruling has been made.
“As far as we know, FIFA is yet to give its verdict,” he told The Guardian.
“We are monitoring the situation closely.”
He explained that DR Congo’s inclusion in the provisional fixtures does not necessarily mean the governing body has dismissed Nigeria’s complaint.
“The fact that DR Congo appears among the six nations to compete for the final two spots in the playoff is not enough to conclude that FIFA has thrown out Nigeria’s petition,” he said.
According to Dikko, FIFA typically communicates such decisions directly to the parties involved before making them public.
“The FIFA we all know has a channel to pass such sensitive information across to the parties involved,” he said.
“The name of DR Congo appears on the fixtures for now because the matter brought before FIFA has not been decided.”
He added that Nigeria remains confident of a favourable outcome.
“We are very hopeful that Nigeria will win the eligibility case and the Super Eagles will proceed to play in the playoff, and possibly make the World Cup party.”
Nigeria’s qualification hopes suffered a major setback in November after the Super Eagles lost to DR Congo in a playoff decided by penalties.
Following the match, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) lodged a complaint with FIFA, claiming the Congolese team fielded ineligible players.
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If FIFA rules in Nigeria’s favour, the result could be overturned, potentially giving the Super Eagles another opportunity to compete for a place at the World Cup.
The playoff tournament is scheduled to take place between 26 and 31 March in Guadalajara and Monterrey.
The six teams currently listed for the competition are Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname, with the final two qualifying for the expanded World Cup.
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Meanwhile, Nigeria have arranged friendly matches during the March international window, with the Super Eagles expected to face Iran on 27 March and Jordan on 31 March in Amman while they await FIFA’s verdict.
