The protest by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on DR Congo fielding ineligible player will no doubt be a full drawn out case owing to what we exclusively gathered.
NFF protested against seven players of DR Congo, who have dual nationality as against the provisions of the country’s constitution which forbids having another passport.
FIFA per what OwnGoalNigeria.com exclusively gathered will rule on the case in February before DR Congo take part in the intercontinental playoff with Nigeria seeking for them to be disqualified, and their slot handed to them.
Top of what FIFA will seek to establish will be how the affected players were able to get the Congolese passport, that they submitted for clearance, without renouncing their other citizenship as contained in the country’s constitution.
The argument that sporting eligibility trumps national eligibility will not stand before FIFA, because not all players who have roots with another country can switch and play.
Also the manner which the passport was acquired is also key as seen in the case that led to the fine and ban on Malaysia, according to a FIFA chief who was at the recently concluded AFCON.
” It’s not about acquiring the passport, but how it was gotten and if it satisfies national laws. If we don’t go by that they we can have countries handing passports to all manner of people to represent them”, he said.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
