Speaking on the sidelines of a football tournament marking International Women’s Day, organised by FAME Foundation on Friday in Abuja, Dikko emphasised that Congo’s listing by FIFA does not indicate that the dispute has been resolved. He stressed that the matter is still under review by the relevant authorities.
According to Dikko, the football governing body follows a legal process in which teams are presumed innocent until a final determination is made. “If you go to the court of law, they say you are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. All the processes are ongoing, and the judge has not made a decision yet,” he said.
The dispute has been referred to an independent adjudicating body within FIFA, which will examine Nigeria’s complaint and decide whether it has merit. Dikko clarified that although Congo appears on the list of teams participating in the playoff, the ultimate decision rests with this independent panel.
“It is not FIFA’s duty directly. They have independent bodies that deal with these issues, and we must wait for the final pronouncement,” he explained.
Dikko noted that Nigeria has formally filed its complaint and believes it has a legitimate case, but the outcome will depend entirely on the ruling of the adjudicating committee.
He further urged football authorities and the teams involved to continue with their preparations as scheduled, stressing that operations should proceed while awaiting the final ruling.
“The processes are ongoing, and until a final decision is delivered, everyone must prepare as usual,” Dikko added.