Former Nigeria international, Mutiu Adepoju, has congratulated the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals scheduled to be hosted by Mexico, the USA and Canada in June, Completesports.com reports.
2026 FIFA World Cup: DR Congo Seal Historic Qualification With Play-Off Victory
On Tuesday, 31 March 2026, DR Congo defeated Jamaica 1–0 after extra time at the Estadio Akron (Guadalajara Stadium) in Zapopan, Guadalajara, Mexico, in the intercontinental play-off to secure their place in the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
Axel Tuanzebe scored the decisive goal 10 minutes into the first half of extra time as DR Congo qualified for their first-ever World Cup finals.
2026 FIFA World Cup: Adepoju Reacts To DR Congo’s Achievement
Adepoju, a member of Nigeria’s Super Eagles squads at the 1994 (USA), 1998 (France) and 2002 (Korea/Japan) FIFA World Cups, told Completesports.com on Tuesday night that it was unfortunate Nigeria missed out on the global showpiece. However, he expressed confidence that the country would learn valuable lessons from their failure to qualify.
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“I must congratulate DR Congo for defeating Jamaica 1–0 in the intercontinental play-off in Mexico to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals,” Adepoju said.
“It’s good for the country, it’s good for the players, and it’s good for Congolese football.
“World Cup experience is something every player and nation should have, especially when it is a first-time experience.”
2026 FIFA World Cup: Adepoju Laments Nigeria’s Absence
Nicknamed ‘Headmaster’ during his playing days, Adepoju lamented Nigeria’s absence from what will be the first World Cup staged across three countries — Mexico, the USA and Canada — attributing the failure to a combination of factors, including lack of seriousness.
“It’s hard to take that Nigeria isn’t going to be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but DR Congo instead.
“I just hope lessons have been learnt. We must be more serious next time and more proactive too,” the former Racing Santander forward stated.
FIFA Dismisses Nigeria’s Petition Against DR Congo
DR Congo had earlier defeated Nigeria 4–3 on penalties during the African play-offs in Morocco on 16 November 2025, following a 1–1 draw after regulation and extra time.
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) subsequently lodged a petition with FIFA, seeking DR Congo’s disqualification over the alleged fielding of ineligible players.
However, in late March 2026, FIFA dismissed Nigeria’s petition, ruling that it was filed out of time and that the required protest fee was not paid.
The decision confirmed Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup finals for a second consecutive tournament.
By Sab Osuji
7 Comments
While dismissing Nigeria’s petition against the DR Congo, FIFA ruled that the petition was filed out of time and the required protest fee was not paid. How else can you have an unserious NFF? So, Nigeria lost out not because her petition lacked merit, but because NFF failed to play by the rules. NFF, una well done o! And Gusau is still coming back! What a joke of a nation!
The FAIL AND STAY INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL CLUB.
Gusau and his board of incompetents are active members.
Gusau’s campaign slogan for the upcoming NFF elections:
Fail and stay,
Power to da pipo!
Fail and stay,
Power to da pipo!
Fail and staaaaaaaay,
Power to da pipoooooo!!!
Hahaha, so they lodged the protest, but failed to pay the protest fee? And they want FIFA to give them a favorable ruling?
The height of negligence and incompetence!
You can’t make this up, really. It’s stranger than fiction!
Perhaps they had shared the money that was meant to pay the fee. Las Las, the plan was to also share the FIFA participation fee if the protest was successful.
NFF Aza men dey active sha!
They told us “Don’t worry, we have a strong case”.
Meanwhile, they knew they had not paid the protest fee.
They looked Nigerians directly in the eye and lied to us. They lied through their decayed, gum disease teeth! They lied there corrupt heads off! They deceived us.
Dem just dey whyne us dey go. Na today?
FIIFA probably contacted them to remind them to pay the fee, but they ignored the notice.
They thought they could owe FIFA, the same way they owe coaches salaries and players bonuses.
Hehehehe! I dey laugh ooo!
NFF Onigbese doings!
Personally, I’m going to campaign for Gusau to be returned as NFF president.
2 failed world cup attempts is very impressive, but we need one more failure to complete the package.
So please guys, join me in shouting the Gusau campaign slogan.
FAIL. AND. STAY,
POWER TO THE PIPOOOOO!!!
Hehehe. I read somewhere else on CS Gusau inaugurated NFF election appeals committee that will oversee the shenanigans of September elections – a judge and jury in his own case.
The crass body even has the incompetent secretary general that deceived or took this nation on a wild goose chase on the FIFA fake petition with the X scam (better abi na exciting days ahead) and ruse.
Dikko is eyeing NFF seat.
Gusau, the serial failure, magically thinks he can succeed where Galadima and Pinnick failed after world cup failures of 2006 and 2022 respectively.
Sanusi, another perennial disaster has been exclusively NFF secretary general since 2014 and wants to be in the next nff board.
Since Nigeria has no shame, I will not be surprised if any of those mediocre ace in September.
Because the north is “entitled” to 2 terms of nonsense and stupidity.
However, 5 months is a long way off especially after we must have watched exciting matches from African reps and record books shattered at the 48 teams world cup.
Then we will be fuming badly to wanna kick them out.
More especially (I still don’t understand why many people here have a contrary opinion), our 2030 bid SHOULD NOT BE ONE TO COMPENSATE PLAYERS THAT WILL BE OLD BY 2030.
NEVER.
Otherwise, we will not smell another world cup (ask Italy).
The 10 African reps will not only have money to improve their participation BUT ALSO DEVELOP THEIR FOOTBALL progressively.
Woe betide the stingy inspired NFF super Eagles if they are paired with any of these 10 nations again in 2030 qualifiers for nations that will spend their FIFA money wisely and will want to grace another world cup.
All the countries who went to 2022 world cup are in 2026 edition.
Now, those who are going in 2026 will by all means want 2030 too. And Nigeria thinks the players who failed twice in 2022 and 2026 will have learned a lesson even as old men, ahead of 2030?
Italy is showing the way. Who is Bosnia? Yet…
CAF can’t pair us with Morocco who are 2030 co-hosts.
That’s trouble for Nigeria who may want some players to grace the world cup for the first time, even if they’ll be old.
It didn’t work when they were in their prime (twice).
It won’t by 2030 when more nations have tasted blood abi na gold at this year’s world cup.
A word is enough for the wise…
Nigeria is a failed State. Our football is merely a reflection of the state of the nation.