The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have released their squad for the interconfederational playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.
The Congolese FA announced the list on Wednesday, despite the ongoing legal dispute stemming from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ‘s petition to FIFA over the eligibility status of some of their players.
Sébastien Desabre, DR Congo’s head coach, maintained almost the exact squad that defeated Nigeria on penalties in the African playoff for the World Cup in November 2025.
In the petition, the NFF accused the Congolese FA of deceit in clearing players for its national team, despite their status contravening the country’s citizenship laws.
NFF added that some of the “fraudulently registered” players played for DR Congo at the playoffs.
According to parts of the document shared by Osasu Obayiuwana, a veteran Nigerian journalist, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Arthur Masuaku, Noah Sadiki, and Cedric Bakambu were among the 17 foreign-born players that featured for DRC Congo, which the NFF noted were “affected by our complaint”.
However, all players listed in the NFF’s petition, except three, made the Congolese list for the forthcoming playoffs.
The only three players missing are Gideon Kalulu, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Mario Stroeykens, who Nigeria claimed were cleared just the day before the November match in Morocco.
The Nigerian petition against DR Congo has been tabled before the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, but a ruling is yet to be communicated.
For the playoffs, DR Congo have been paired with the winners of the Jamaica-New Caledonia match. The final game will secure one of the final tickets to the World Cup.
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