The Congo Brazzaville national football team forfeited a match by default following the team’s refusal to travel to Kinshasa to face Niger’s team, coached by Badou Zaki, in the 3rd round of the African World Cup 2026 qualifiers, according to a press release issued by FIFA.
Instead of playing Niger, the Congolese team had chosen to play their match against Morocco’s national team in Agadir to avoid definitive elimination from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
FIFA said, in accordance with Article 58 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, “the match between Congo and Niger initially scheduled for June 6, 2024, as part of the preliminary competition for the 2026 World Cup, is declared as a 3-0 forfeit loss for the Congo national team.”
FIFA also fined the Congolese Football Federation 10,000 Swiss francs.