World football governing body, FIFA, has sanctioned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Congolese Association Football Federation following disciplinary incidents during the disputed 2026 FIFA World Cup African play-off final.
The decisive match, which involved the Nigeria national football team and the DR Congo national football team, ended in dramatic fashion as DR Congo secured a 4–3 victory on penalties in Morocco to advance to the intercontinental play-offs.
According to FIFA’s latest disciplinary overview released for the World Cup qualifiers, both football bodies were found guilty of separate infractions that occurred during the match played on November 16, 2025.
FIFA stated that Nigeria was penalised for breaching regulations relating to order and security at matches.
The offence involved the throwing of objects by spectators, which contravenes Article 17 and Article 17.2.b of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
As a result, the NFF was fined 1,000 Swiss francs by the global football governing body.
On their part, the DR Congo federation received a heavier sanction after supporters were found to have used laser pointers or similar electronic devices during the encounter.
The act violated Article 17.2.d of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, prompting FIFA to impose a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs on the Congolese football body.
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