FIFA did not punish the DR Congo national team for the participation of a player without changing the association

The International Football Federation (FIFA) did not apply sanctions to the DR Congo team, which included a player who was not eligible to play in the World Cup qualifying tournament, The New York Times reports.

According to the source, during the investigation, FIFA found that goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who played for the DR Congo national team, did not complete the procedure for changing his football association after playing for the French youth teams.

Mpasi played for the DR Congo national team in World Cup qualifying matches. The Congolese beat Nigeria in a penalty shootout in the final of the African playoffs, after which they advanced to the intercontinental playoffs. There, the DR Congo team defeated the Jamaican team (1:0 in extra time) and qualified for the World Cup.

After the defeat, the Nigerian Football Federation filed a complaint with FIFA regarding the admission of players from the Congolese national team. Despite the results of the audit, the organization rejected Nigeria's complaint on technical grounds.

FIFA told The New York Times that the organization's committees are independent and make decisions based on current regulations and the circumstances of individual cases.