The DR Congo national football team have left out two players mentioned in the Nigeria Football Federation complaint to FIFA as they unveiled a 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup intercontinental play-offs.
Head coach Sébastien Desabre released the squad on Wednesday, retaining much of the team that eliminated the Nigeria national football team on penalties during the African play-off round.
Captain Chancel Mbemba leads the Leopards’ squad alongside experienced players such as Cédric Bakambu, Yoane Wissa and Samuel Moutoussamy as the Central African nation pursues a return to the FIFA World Cup.
However, the squad announcement drew attention due to the absence of Michel‑Ange Balikwisha and Mario Stroeykens, two players specifically highlighted in Nigeria’s formal petition to FIFA over alleged eligibility breaches.
Only Matheu Epolo, the third player prominently mentioned in the Nigerian complaint, was included in Desabre’s latest squad.
Nigeria lodged the complaint after losing the African play-off tie 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo, alleging that the Congolese federation misled FIFA in the process of securing nationality switches for several overseas-born players.
The petition, which became public on December 15, 2025, requested that FIFA investigate the matter and consider disqualifying DR Congo from the qualification process.
According to the document, numerous foreign-born players featured against Nigeria, including Lionel Mpasi, Aaron Wan‑Bissaka, Axel Tuanzebe, Arthur Masuaku, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Noah Sadiki, Nathanael Mbuku and Bakambu in the starting line-up, as well as substitutes such as Timothy Fayulu, Joris Kayembe, Edo Kayembe, Steve Kapuadi, Gédéon Kalulu and others.
The complaint questioned how the Congolese federation could call up players before receiving final clearance from FIFA to switch national allegiance.
Nigeria argued that Balikwisha, Stroeykens and Epolo received final approval to represent DR Congo between November 11 and 12, 2025, just days before the decisive play-off match against Nigeria on November 16.
Balikwisha made his international debut in that encounter and successfully converted a penalty during the shoot-out that secured DR Congo’s progression, while Stroeykens did not earn a cap after suffering an injury shortly after the match.
Epolo later made his senior debut for the Leopards on December 16, 2025, a day after Nigeria’s complaint became public.
Their absence from the new squad—particularly Balikwisha’s omission despite his influential role in the previous round—has raised questions over whether the Congolese technical crew is attempting to avoid further scrutiny while the FIFA investigation remains unresolved.
Despite the controversy, the squad suggests DR Congo are preparing confidently for the intercontinental play-offs as they aim to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
For observers in Nigeria, the omission of the two players could renew hopes that the NFF’s protest remains under consideration, although FIFA has yet to issue an official decision months after the complaint was filed.
With decisive matches scheduled to take place in Guadalajara and Monterrey, the eligibility dispute continues to cast a shadow over DR Congo’s World Cup qualification campaign.
