Nigeria forfeit match against Algeria over unqualified player but World Cup slot intact

Nigeria have forfeited their 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Algeria, Fifa has announced.

The Super Eagles have been handed a 3-0 walkover defeat for fielding an ineligible player in the November 10 fixture which had ended 1-1.

The world football governing body added that the decision did not affect the final standings in African Group B, nor Nigeria’s qualification for next year’s World Cup in Russia, as they had finished six points clear of Zambia.

“The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been sanctioned for fielding an ineligible player in the match between Algeria and Nigeria on 10 November 2017.

“The match is declared to be forfeited and awarded 3-0 in favour of Algeria, with the NFF also receiving a fine of CHF 6,000 (US$6,041).

“The sanction relates to the player Abdullahi Shehu failing to serve the automatic one-match suspension imposed on him as a result of receiving a caution in two separate matches of the same competition. This sanction bears no impact on the final result of the preliminary competition for the Fifa World Cup since Nigeria had already qualified (and Algeria eliminated) before the match took place,” Fifa said in part of decisions taken at a recent Disciplinary Committee sitting via its official website on Tuesday.

Nigeria have been drawn in Group D of the 2018 Fifa World Cup alongside Argentina, Croatia and Iceland.