Dikko: FIFA Yet to Communicate Decision on Nigeria’s Petition Against DR Congo, But We Remain Confident
Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), has clarified that the world football governing body, FIFA, is yet to formally communicate its ruling regarding the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
Speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, Dikko shed light on the ongoing legal tussle surrounding the 2026 World Cup African playoffs.
Nigeria’s World Cup dreams were dashed when DR Congo defeated the Super Eagles on penalties in the playoff final.
However, the NFF filed a formal petition with FIFA in December, accusing the Congolese Football Association of fraudulently registering and fielding ineligible players whose status allegedly contravened the country’s citizenship laws.
As anxiety among Nigerian football fans grew following the circulation of fake verdicts online, Dikko urged patience, noting that the independent bodies handling the case within FIFA have not issued a timeline for their decision.
“We had a misfortune on penalties in the playoffs. We lost it, but we found out there are some breaches here and there, which we believe, even before we played the playoffs, those breaches, we noticed them and we already documented them.
“So ourselves and the NFF submitted to FIFA what we feel were breaches against the rules and regulations… The relevant bodies of FIFA are dealing with it, and we are hoping, any moment, we will hear their decisions,” Dikko explained.
Despite the pending legal matter, Dikko emphasized that Nigeria has moved past the World Cup disappointment and is actively focusing on future tournaments, including the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
“We are confident we have a good case. But I keep saying, we have put the World Cup behind us already. Whatever happens, it is what it is. We are not looking at that; we are looking at how do you build for the next competitions,” he added.
Dikko stressed that the FIFA Disciplinary and Ethics Committees operate independently and will only announce their findings once their review is fully concluded. “If it is a legal issue, we have a good case. That’s why we submitted the case,” he asserted.
Sports Sector Generated 140,000 Jobs in 2025
Beyond the FIFA petition, Dikko also highlighted the significant economic contributions of the sports sector under the “New Hope Initiative for Nigeria Sports Economy.”
He revealed that the sector successfully generated roughly 140,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the sporting ecosystem in 2025.
“The President is talking about sports not just being measured about the medals, it’s being measured about what you contribute, the GDP, how much was created. “We are winning on the pitch, we are also winning on the economic side,” Dikko stated.
He concluded by emphasizing the need for robust infrastructure to sustain this growth, disclosing that President Tinubu is currently reviewing proposals to fast-track the development of sporting facilities across Nigeria for both elite and grassroots sports.
This follows Dikko’s earlier revelation in November that sports is now contributing over one percent to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP).
