Former Nigeria international Femi Ajilore has advised Nigerian football authorities to take long-term lessons from the ongoing appeal involving the Democratic Republic of Congo, irrespective of the final decision by FIFA.
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By Lovette Ochicha – February 18, 2026
Speaking ahead of the expected ruling, Ajilore stressed that while a favourable verdict would be welcome, Nigeria must ensure it does not find itself in a similar situation in future qualification campaigns.
“Whether the verdict is positive or negative, Nigeria must learn from this situation,” Ajilore said.
“If it goes in our favour, then the team must be fully prepared to take advantage of that opportunity. But more importantly, we must avoid getting into this position again.”
The former Super Eagles midfielder emphasized that qualification for major tournaments should never depend on post-competition appeals, noting that every match in the qualifiers must be treated with maximum seriousness.
“We shouldn’t be hoping for lifelines after the fact. Every qualifying game matters, and Nigeria must plan properly from the start to avoid these scenarios in the future,” he added.
Ajilore concluded by calling for better structure, focus and consistency in Nigeria’s qualification campaigns to ensure the country remains competitive at the highest level without relying on off-field decisions.
