The honourable path out
The hitherto deafening noise of a back door entry for Nigeria into the 2026 World Cup competition is melting away like ice cream kept under scorching sun. It is becoming
The hitherto deafening noise of a back door entry for Nigeria into the 2026 World Cup competition is melting away like ice cream kept under scorching sun. It is becoming very clear that we are tasking FIFA, the official owners of the beautiful game called soccer to function also as an immigration agency for participating countries in their competition.
Indeed, the required document players need to play in FIFA approved tournaments is their countries' international passports. For those changing their nationalities, there exists a set of rules which must be fact checked by FIFA to make sure there are no infractions before such a clearance is signed and the document approved to be used for their tournaments.
What our all-knowing sports administrators are asking FIFA to do is to nullify what they had fact checked and confirmed as genuine documents for their events. Who does that? Indeed, it would shock our administrators that even if the Congolese documents were fake, all the matches they’ve played would be have to be nullified; and the process recalibrated as witnessed with the recalibration of the Eritrea formula - the main reason Nigeria qualified for the African version of the continental playoffs in the first place.
Besides, whatever FIFA would come up with isn't cast in stone because the losing country between Nigeria and D.R Congo would subject the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) by way of appeal, which takes time to be adjudicated upon. I dare say that the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States of America begins from June 11 to July 19. Meanwhile, today is Saturday February 28, and no decision has been taken.
Hasn't FIFA given Nigeria a tacit opportunity to walk away from this non-issue protest by their stoic silence? I also read a story online on Wednesday which stated that the Jamaicans were troubling FIFA to a decision. The story online gave the impression that the Jamaicans preferred to play against Nigeria than DR Congo. If you believe this story, then you are doomed because nobody from Jamaica FA, coach, players or government officials was quoted to have generated the evidently concocted story.
It is quite interesting to observe how the NFF officials have kept sealed lips on the protest. Rather, they have been talking about a four-nation invitational tournament in Amman, Jordan. The mini-tournament will bring together four national teams — Nigeria, Iran, Jordan and Costa Rica — as part of preparations and competitive action during the next FIFA Men’s International Window in March.
According to the NFF, the Super Eagles — three-time African champions and bronze medalists at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations — will open their campaign against Iran on Friday, 27th March 2026, at the Amman International Stadium, which has a capacity for 17,000 spectators.
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On the same day, tournament hosts Jordan will face Costa Rica at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, which can hold more than 60,000 fans.
The competition continues on Tuesday, 31st March when Nigeria will play Jordan at the Amman International Stadium, while Costa Rica and Iran meet at the larger venue. Organisers are expected to confirm kick-off times for all matches soon.
The imminent question to ask the NSC and NFF by this latest circular would be - what has happened to the backdoor push towards getting Nigeria as one of the 48 qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup?
The inter-confederation play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament (officially named the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament) will determine two qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be played in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The play-offs will take place on 26th and 31st of March 2026 at two venues in Mexico.
This inadvertently means there is a clash of fixtures on March 31, with Nigeria billed to battle for points against Jordan at the Amman International Stadium. The FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament will take place on 26 and 31 March 2026 at two venues in Mexico.
Will Nigeria be fielding two squads for the friendly and for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament, if the verdict favours Nigeria? Be reminded that the loser of the protest would definitely seek redress at CAS. Double jeopardy for Nigeria. Pity!
The Bola Ahmed Tinubu government has done something novel for sports in Nigeria by removing the bottlenecks associated with funding from government. Disclosing this to the media in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Shehu Dikko, stated that that clear-cut financial procedures have now been put in place to ensure that funds meant for athletes are released promptly, eliminating the delays that have often caused unrest within national teams.
“The days when national teams are owed bonuses are over. There are now clear directives to the relevant ministries and agencies that sports budgets must be approved and disbursed immediately,” Dikko said.
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He explained that the new framework was backed directly by the Presidency, ensuring accountability and removing bureaucratic bottlenecks that previously slowed down payments.
Dikko referenced the recent standoff involving the Super Eagles, who boycotted training sessions ahead of their World Cup playoffs against DR Congo due to delayed allowances, describing it as an unfortunate situation that has now informed lasting reforms.
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“What happened with the Super Eagles should never happen again. Athletes should focus on performance, not whether their entitlements will be paid,” he said.
The NSC chairman stressed that the welfare of athletes remains central to the commission’s vision, noting that prompt payment of bonuses is essential to motivation, trust, and professionalism.
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“When athletes feel respected and taken care of, they give everything. Welfare is not a privilege; it is a right,” Dikko stated.
“Once budgets are approved, the funds must be released. This is no longer optional. The system has changed,” he added.
“We will not tolerate lapses. Sportsmen and women represent the nation, and they deserve to be treated with dignity,” he emphasised.
One was excited reading these steps towards early funding for sports, especially for football. It is important to remind the NSC boss that on no account should the NSC disburse funds which NFF applied for through the Commission. Need I remind Dikko that the NFF is a parastatal unlike the other sports federations? If the NSC chiefs feel strongly that the funds applied for by the NFF would be misapplied, they are at liberty to invite ICPC or EFCC investigators to look through the books. This idea of the NSC making payments for requests which are ideally NFF's should stop forthwith.
We know Dikko's views on this matter when he was administering soccer. So, now that his tenure has brought forth good tidings, he must without any form of hesitation give what is NFF's to them, including the payment of the wages and other details of the Super Eagles Coach Chelle.
After all, Chelle knows his employers and referenced them when he and his new agents submitted the 19-point request demands for an improved wages and entitlements as Super Eagles Coach. Chelle should stick to his 19-point demands now that Dikko has announced a new dawn in funding sports in Nigeria.
