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The Democratic Republic of Congo could lose their chances of participating in the 2026 World Cup after being accused of using nine uncapped players, including three Premier League stars.
The African team secured their place in the March intercontinental play-offs after a penalty shootout win over Nigeria last month. They will face the winner of the first leg between New Caledonia and Jamaica to join Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K.
But now, Nigeria has submitted an official complaint to FIFA, raising concerns about the status of several players, including Premier League stars Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Aksel Tuanzebe and Arthur Masuaku.
FIFA has accepted the allegations and opened a formal investigation into the matter. The investigation could lead to the Democratic Republic of Congo being expelled from the play-offs and replaced with Nigeria, who could return to World Cup contention.
If that happens, another possibility is for Nigeria to face Cameroon - who were beaten by Congo in the semi-finals of the African play-offs - to win the place in March.
According to the charges, the nine players, most of whom were born in Europe, were registered by the Congolese Football Federation despite not being Congolese citizens. The Congolese constitution does not recognize dual citizenship, and it is alleged that these players had not renounced their first passports, making their registration invalid for FIFA.
The head of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mohamed Sanusi, confirmed that he had lodged the protest, saying: "Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship. Many of them have European passports, some have French passports, some have Dutch passports, while Wan-Bissaka has a British passport."
Sanusi added: " The rules are very clear. We can't say anything now, but we have submitted our protest to FIFA. Some of these players have received their passports within just three months ."
Wan-Bissaka, 28, born in Croydon, is a Manchester United player after a spell at Crystal Palace. Tuanzebe, also 28, was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but moved to England when he was five and has played for the England national team. Masuaku, a former West Ham player and now at Sunderland, was born in France.
In addition to these players, main goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and Timoti Fayulu, who took part in the penalty shootout win over Nigeria, are also born in Europe, in France and Switzerland respectively.
The Congolese Football Federation reacted on social media, accusing Nigeria of being “disappointed” and posting a photo of Wan-Bissaka with his Congolese passport. They declared: “ If you can’t win on the pitch, don’t try to win from behind. The World Cup should be played with dignity and confidence, not with legal tricks. Let’s bring it !”
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