FIFA Petition: DR Congo slams Nigeria, calls them ‘bad losers’

Femi Fabunmi

2026 World Cup Qualifiers: DR Congo Fire Back at Super Eagles After Petition
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has strongly responded to Nigeria following the controversy surrounding their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The disagreement began after DR Congo defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the African playoff final, which took place in Rabat last month.

The tightly contested match ended in a 4–3 penalty shootout victory for the Congolese side after regulation time failed to produce a clear winner.

Following the defeat, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) submitted an official petition, calling on football authorities to disqualify DR Congo from the World Cup qualifiers. According to the NFF, DR Congo fielded several players who were allegedly not eligible to take part in the match.

DR Congo, however, has firmly rejected the claims. In a strongly worded message posted on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Leopards accused Nigeria of being “bad losers” and trying to gain qualification through legal means rather than sporting performance.

They stated that if a team fails to win on the pitch, it should not attempt to secure victory through what they described as “backdoor” methods. DR Congo also emphasized that World Cup qualification should be based on fair play, confidence, and results achieved during matches, not on legal battles and paperwork.

The Congolese football authorities further insisted that their team won the playoff fairly and deserved their place. They urged Nigeria to respect the outcome of the match and accept the result with sportsmanship.

The response from DR Congo has added more tension to the situation, raising concerns about a possible prolonged dispute between the two African football giants as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers continue.