Boboye Doubts NFF’s Chances at CAS After FIFA Dismisses DR Congo Protest

Boboye Questions NFF Appeal Chances
Bendel Insurance head coach Kennedy Boboye has raised doubts about Nigeria’s chances at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He believes the appeal against FIFA’s ruling may not succeed.

FIFA Dismisses Protest
FIFA dismissed the NFF’s protest against DR Congo. The case involved alleged use of ineligible players during the World Cup play-off in Morocco.
The match ended 1-1 before DR Congo won 4-3 on penalties.

Procedural Issues Identified
FIFA said the NFF submitted the protest late. It also noted that the federation did not pay the required protest fee. These lapses made the protest invalid.

Boboye Highlights Key Errors
Boboye said protests must follow strict rules.
“Protests are filed within 24 hours,” he said.
He added that teams must also pay the required fee to complete the process.

He criticised the delay in filing the protest. He said submitting late without meeting requirements weakens the case.

CAS Appeal Outlook
The NFF has decided to take the case to CAS in Switzerland. However, Boboye believes the appeal will face serious difficulty.
“CAS will not perform any magic,” he said.
He explained that failure to meet initial conditions makes it hard to overturn FIFA’s decision.

Call for Lessons Learned
Boboye said Nigeria must learn from the situation. He warned against overconfidence in major competitions.
He added that proper preparation and adherence to rules are key.
He also said missing the World Cup would be unfortunate but should lead to improvement.

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