The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reportedly sent its petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for fielding ineligible players in the FIFA World Cup qualifier playoffs to the wrong email.

According to OwnGoalNigeria, this unpardonable error formed part of the technical grounds on which Nigeria’s petition against the DRC was dismissed by football’s governing body.

The DRC edged Nigeria on penalties after 120 minutes of football ended in a 1-1 draw during the CAF finals of the World Cup playoffs in November 2025.

DR Congo went on to beat Jamaica 1-0 in the intercontinental playoff to secure their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to investigations by Le Monde and The New York Times, FIFA’s legal team found that Mpasi, who holds French and Congolese nationality, had not completed the required process to switch his international allegiance after representing France at youth level.

However, Nigeria’s case against DR Congo was dismissed on technical grounds, as the NFF was adjudged to have filed its petition late.

According to OwnGoalNigeria, a source at the National Sports Commission (NSC) disclosed that Nigeria’s petition was sent to the General Secretary and not the FIFA legal portal, another ground on which the petition was thrown out.

In summary, channelling grievances to the wrong quarters and filing the case late formed the grounds on which Nigeria’s case was dismissed, in what many have described as a ludicrous claim, as an infraction of such magnitude should not be time-bound.

The three-time African champions eventually missed out on back-to-back FIFA World Cup tournaments after previously failing to qualify for the 2022 edition in Qatar.

WDN