Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz could be on a potential collision course with West-African powerhouse Nigeria in the FIFA Intercontinental Playoffs next March, should they overcome first-round opponents New Caledonia, amid an escalating eligibility dispute involving the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DR Congo, who edged Nigeria on penalties in Morocco in November to secure Africa’s place in the Intercontinental Playoffs, are now under scrutiny following reports that they may have breached FIFA eligibility regulations. According to Nigeria’s National Accord newspaper, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) believes several players who featured in that contest were not properly cleared to represent DR Congo.

At the centre of the controversy are players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe, both of whom are alleged to have been ineligible because Congolese law does not officially recognize dual citizenship. The NFF argues that the players had not fully completed the eligibility switch process and still held foreign passports at the time of the playoff fixture, potentially placing DR Congo in violation of FIFA statutes.

The Congolese Football Federation has strongly rejected the claims, dismissing Nigeria’s protest as an act of poor sportsmanship and branding the Super Eagles as “bad losers” following their defeat.

It is understood that a formal petition has been submitted, challenging DR Congo’s participation in the decisive playoff. FIFA has not yet publicly commented, but several possible outcomes could emerge once the matter is reviewed.

Among them, FIFA may determine that the evidence presented by the NFF is insufficient and close the case, allowing DR Congo’s World Cup qualification hopes to remain intact. Another possibility is that FIFA could investigate and, if procedural breaches are identified in the clearance process, issue administrative sanctions such as fines or warnings, while leaving the match result unchanged.

In more serious circumstances, sporting sanctions could be imposed. These may include ordering a forfeit, awarding the match to Nigeria, or imposing points deductions in group-stage contexts — measures that could dramatically alter the qualification picture.

Should FIFA ultimately rule in Nigeria’s favour — and provided the Intercontinental Playoffs scheduled for Mexico in March 2026 have not been completed — the Super Eagles could be handed an unexpected route back into World Cup contention.

In that scenario, the Super Eagles would advance to face the winner of the first-round Intercontinental Playoff clash between Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz and New Caledonia.

Jamaica are scheduled to meet New Caledonia on March 26, 2026, at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, with the final set for March 31, 2026, at the same venue.