The International Football Federation Rejected Nigeria's Protest
Alongside the action on football pitches worldwide, legal battles are also reaching their peak. Zamin.uz reports this news.
Disputes that arose over qualification for the 2026 World Cup in Africa are now being discussed on an international scale. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee rejected the protest filed by the Nigeria Football Federation against the Democratic Republic of Congo national team.
The Nigerians had accused their opponents of violating rules regarding player nationality and demanded the match result be annulled. However, the federation's decision favored Congo, confirming their victory.
The root of this dispute lies in the issue of dual nationality for footballers. According to Nigerian representatives, nine players in the Congolese squad participated in the match without renouncing their European passports.
In their view, Congolese law does not recognize dual citizenship, and therefore these players were not officially eligible to participate. The Congolese side emphasized that all footballers had been registered with FIFA and that the victory was legitimate.
According to them, Nigeria attempted to change the match result through backdoor channels. This incident is also of great importance for the Uzbekistan national team.
Because according to the draw results, our team was placed in a group with Portugal and Colombia for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The fourth opponent in our group could be either this disputed pair or a representative from Jamaica.
Dissatisfied with the FIFA decision, the Nigerian side appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. However, the intercontinental playoff matches begin at the end of March, and it is difficult for the court proceedings to conclude by that time.
The Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation called on fans to fight until the end. Dear football fans, do you think Nigeria can regain their qualification through the Court of Arbitration for Sport?
For the Uzbekistan national team, which would be preferable as an opponent in the group: the Democratic Republic of Congo or Nigeria? The answers to these questions will become clear in the coming days.
Source: Zamin.uz
