FIFA accused of covering up violation by Democratic Republic of Congo

Reports suggest that FIFA may have overlooked an eligibility violation concerning Democratic Republic of Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mbassi during the World Cup qualifying campaign, a situation that has sparked widespread controversy regarding the governing body's handling of the matter.

According to reports from the 'New York Times' and 'Le Monde', internal documents revealed that Mbassi, born in France and currently playing for Le Havre, had not completed the necessary procedures to change his federation after representing French youth teams, which could have made him ineligible to participate with the Democratic Republic of Congo at that stage.

Information indicates that FIFA's legal bodies were aware of the issue after Mbassi played in the Democratic Republic of Congo's match against Nigeria in the qualifiers, before Nigeria lodged a complaint regarding the legality of his participation. According to reports, an internal review within the international federation concluded that there was a problem with the goalkeeper's status, but no sporting action was taken against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Democratic Republic of Congo benefited from their victory over Nigeria to reach the crucial match against Jamaica, before overcoming them and securing qualification for the World Cup, ending a wait that lasted 52 years. If the violation is proven and the complaint is accepted, the usual penalty for such cases could result in the team being deemed to have lost the match in which an ineligible player participated.

In response, FIFA confirmed that the case was rejected due to a procedural flaw in Nigeria's complaint, emphasizing that its committees "are independent and make their decisions based on the regulations and the facts presented to them". It also denied any interference from Gianni Infantino in the decision. Meanwhile, former Nigerian Football Federation president Ibrahim Musa has called for an investigation into the matter, arguing that the international federation has deliberately remained silent despite being aware of the issue.