Nigeria won't just wait — NSC boss Dikko declares confidence in 2026 World Cup protest ahead FIFA verdict

When most officials hedge their bets and soften the blow before a crucial verdict, Mallam Shehu Dikko is doing the opposite: standing firm on principle and backing Nigeria's case with conviction.

The National Sports Commission chairman isn't tiptoeing around FIFA's impending decision on the NFF's protest against DR Congo.

He's declaring outright that Nigeria's petition "should be" upheld and that confidence isn't coming from blind optimism, it's rooted in what he believes are clear rule violations.

"We have already put the World Cup behind us," Dikko stated according to a Brila report. But do not mistake that for resignation. It's strategic detachment.

Nigeria has moved on operationally, yes, but Dikko's follow-up reveals the real position:

That's not a man preparing for defeat. That's a man who submitted evidence he trusts, presented a case he stands behind, and isn't playing political games with careful language to protect his reputation if things go south.

The NSC boss confirmed what some suspected: Nigeria isn't crying foul as sore losers. The petition alleges DR Congo fielded up to six dual-citizenship players in direct violation of Congolese national law, players who should never have received FIFA clearance in the first place.

Too often, Nigerian sports administrators speak in bureaucratic riddles, distancing themselves from accountability before results even arrive. Dikko's doing the reverse. He's put his credibility on the line by publicly stating his belief that the petition will and should be upheld.

Translation: Nigeria didn't file this protest on emotion. They filed it on evidence. And the NSC chairman isn't hedging, he's backing it fully.

While the Super Eagles wait for FIFA's February verdict ahead of next month's Intercontinental playoffs, Dikko's confident stance sends a critical message: Nigeria will challenge injustice when it sees it, and the leadership will stand behind that challenge without wavering.

Whether FIFA rules in Nigeria's favour or not, the NSC and NFF presented their case with conviction, not the desperation to be at the 2026 showpiece.

They've moved forward operationally while maintaining that if the rules were violated, which Dikko believes they were, then Nigeria deserves that lifeline.