Former Nigerian international Peter Ijeh has expressed strong doubts over Nigeria’s chances of benefiting from its appeal to FIFA following the World Cup qualification controversy involving the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Reacting to Nigeria’s protest over the alleged use of ineligible players by DR Congo, Ijeh said he does not expect FIFA to deliver any decisive ruling in Nigeria’s favour, stressing that time may already be working against the Super Eagles.
“Honestly, I don’t have much hope,” Ijeh said. “FIFA doesn’t usually make drastic decisions in situations like this, especially when a lot of time has already passed.”
The former striker explained that while Nigeria may have legitimate concerns, the global football governing body is often reluctant to overturn results or impose sanctions that could significantly alter qualification outcomes.
“If there was going to be a strong decision, it would have come earlier,” he added. “At this stage, it feels like it might already be too late for anything major to happen.”
Ijeh stressed that Nigeria should avoid placing all its hopes on off-the-pitch decisions and instead focus on rebuilding and strengthening the national team for future competitions.
“We had our chances on the pitch, and that’s where World Cup tickets are usually decided,” he said. “Football doesn’t always wait for appeals.”
While acknowledging that the NFF has the right to pursue every legal option available, Ijeh warned against raising unrealistic expectations among fans.
“Supporters should be prepared for any outcome,” he concluded. “The best way forward is to learn from this and make sure Nigeria doesn’t find itself in this position again.”
Nigeria continues to await FIFA’s final position on the matter, but Ijeh’s comments underline growing skepticism among former internationals about the likely impact of the appeal.
