Let's tell the truth
This is a promise, dear readers. I won’t allow anyone to sweep this shameful conduct under the table. We have had a cocktail of administrative blunders at the Nigeria Football
- By Ade Ojeikere
This is a promise, dear readers. I won't allow anyone to sweep this shameful conduct under the table. We have had a cocktail of administrative blunders at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which have gone unpunished because the federation's supervisory body was also culpable.
The latest of such blunders was the startling revelation by FIFA on March 9, according to the letter sent to the Nigeria federation informing them that the protest against the DR Congo wasn't an issue, literarily speaking, having been filed out of time as the lawyers would say. The world soccer ruling body went further to say that the protest fees of 1000 Swiss Franc wasn't paid for. It was, therefore, not considered because of these procedural lapses.
Recall that the administrative lapse where Shehu Abduallahi, an ineligible player for Nigeria's last group game for the 2018 World Cup finals held in Russia was fielded by the Super Eagles against Algeria in Algiers. The Algerians rightly lodged a protest against Nigeria which they won. Those who should have been punished were treated like kings largely because the three points and three goals deducted from Nigeria's total points didn't stop the country from participating at the Russia 2018 World Cup held in Russia.
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One would easily have directed this column to the Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC), to handle the matter. But his utterances while speaking on Arise Television showed that he too told only the Nigerian story to such an extent that he boasted on a live television programme that he was putting his chest forward to say that Nigeria's flag would be hoisted among the comity of nations during the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States of America (USA).
Now that D.R Congo has gotten the qualification ticket by beating Jamaica 1-0, scored in the 100 minute, it is important to ask the NFF and indeed the NSC, if Nigeria submitted a protest? If the response is in the affirmation, the next questions would be who wrote the protest and who authorised the submission of such an error infested document.
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Perhaps, it is important to assume that the federation's supervisory body was privy to the approval of the protest being submitted as it was. Again, if the response is in the affirmative, one would need to ask the NSC Chairman, on whose table the buck stops, if he truly interrogated the content of the protest. Between the NFF General Secretary and the NSC Chairman lies the authorisation and submission of the protest, albeit passing it through both bodies' legal departments.
The protest wouldn't have brought the odium that has poured on the country if valid questions such as if it be was being submitted within the approved limits, and of course, if money was available to process and pay for the protest upon its submission? These are pertinent questions in organisations with good leadership. From what we have seen so far from FIFA, there is clearly a failure of leadership in both bodies, if what FIFA told the world was true about Nigeria's protest against World Cup bound D.R.Congo.
It would be a sad commentary on the way sports is being administered in Nigeria if people aren't eased out of office for filing a protest out of time, aside the fact that no payment was made when it was submitted. One would have thought that bromides of the receipt of payment issued by FIFA's relevant department would have been public to the world by either the NFF or NSC. This isn't rocket science. These are grievous lapses which ought to be punished and not swept under the carpet as we witnessed in 2018.
Already, the seeming stoic silence from the NSC and NFF since FIFA's bombshell suggests that they are indifferent on this delicate issue and had opted to urge us all on as if there would be light inside the tunnel of shame. Now that D.R Congo has earned their ticket, can we please investigate this issue to serve as deterrent to others in the future. My naughty friend has been celebrating that the Congolese danced well to get the ticket, stressing it would be easier for FIFA to crown Nigeria when our protest succeeds at Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
So, what does the regulation state on this matter?
''Under the Regulations Governing the Preliminary Competition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, protests regarding player eligibility must follow strict timelines.
“Article 8 of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition Regulations outlines the strict procedures for filing match protests.”
''Article 8 of the regulations stipulates that any protest must first be communicated to the match commissioner within two hours of the completion of the match, and then followed by a detailed written submission within 24 hours.
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The article states:
“Protests regarding the eligibility of players selected for matches in the preliminary competition shall be submitted in writing within two hours of the match and followed by a full written report within 24 hours.”
''Because Nigeria’s protest was submitted on November 28 for a match played on November 16, it fell well outside the allowable window.
''The source further revealed that the mandatory protest fee of 1,000 Swiss francs, which must accompany such submissions, was also not paid. As a result, the case was not formally processed by FIFA’s judicial bodies.
“The appeal that was widely reported was never actually entertained by the FIFA judicial authorities because it did not meet the procedural requirements,” the source explained, adding that the NFF was formally informed of the situation on March 9, 2026.
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''It took another week before the body made the decision known, indirectly with a claim of appeal of the judgment.
‘'Under FIFA regulations, a protest must not only meet the deadline but must also include clear reasons, supporting evidence, and the relevant regulatory provisions before the Disciplinary Committee can examine the case.''
The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has begun to take definitive shape, with a blend of traditional powerhouses, emerging nations and first-time qualifiers securing places at the tournament to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
The three host nations — the United States, Mexico and Canada — automatically qualified, each bringing contrasting World Cup pedigrees.
While the United States’ best finish remains a third-place outing in 1930, Mexico boast two quarter-final appearances (1970 and 1986), and Canada continue their search for a first knockout-stage breakthrough after previous group-stage exits.
Again, we wait, dear reader. Happy Easter celebrations.
