Congo will be allowed to continue participating in the World Cup qualifiers despite missing two fixtures in March when they were banned, world football’s governing body FIFA said on Wednesday.

Congo were suspended from February to May because of government interference in the running of their football association (FECOFOOT) but the ban was lifted when officials returned to their positions and were handed back access to their headquarters and technical training centre.

Sports minister Hugues Ngouelondele had appointed an ad-hoc committee last year to run the association, claiming it needed to sort out disputes among association office bearers, but FIFA suspended FECOFOOT due to third-party interference, which violates its statutes.

During the ban, Congo were not allowed to participate in any international competition, which meant they did not honour 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Tanzania and Niger in March.

A FIFA spokesman told Reuters the points from those fixtures were forfeited and a 3-0 victory awarded to their opponents.

But they will continue in the qualifiers when they resume in September, even if they have no chance of qualifying.

Congo are scheduled to play Tanzania at home in September and conclude their fixtures in October with matches at Niger and Morocco.

Congo have no points in the group, which Morocco lead with 15 points, six more than Tanzania in second place.

The group winner qualifies for next year’s World Cup in North America while the runner-up has a possibility to participate in playoffs if they are among the four best second-placed teams in the nine African qualifying groups.

FIFA has taken a hard line on government interference in football matters with the likes of Chad, Kenya, Pakistan and Zimbabwe among those banned in recent years.

Congo were African champions in 1972 but have never been to a World Cup.

-Reuters

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With the Super Eagles already facing a turbulent flight in the 2026 World Cup qualification quest, a possible headache is unfolding, even if they make the final cut to the global tournament.

Nigeria is among the 36 countries that the US president, Donald Trump, is considering imposing a travel ban on to the United States, the epicentre of next year’s World Cup.

Already, Iran, though qualified, is among the initial 12 countries for which the Trump administration has imposed a travel ban. The US is now weighing adding 36 other countries to the travel ban. This is obtained from an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.

The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address concerns raised by the US within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action.

“The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” the cable sent out over the weekend said.

The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.

Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another was the “questionable security” of that country’s passport.

Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of their nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the U.S. visas that their citizens were being granted.

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Morocco has taken a major step forward in its preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup™. It has awarded a $320 million construction contract to a domestic consortium. This is for the second phase of the Sidi Slimane Grand Stadium. The stadium is a centrepiece of the country’s bold infrastructure strategy.

The winning bid was submitted by Casablanca-based construction leaders TGCC and SGTM. They were the only consortium to meet both the technical and financial requirements, according to Morocco’s official public procurement platform.

The future stadium is located on a 100-hectare site near Benslimane. It is just north of Casablanca. It is set to seat 115,000 spectators. This will make it the largest football venue in Africa upon completion.

More than just a stadium, the project will serve as the heart of a sprawling sports city. It features a 25,000-seat athletics stadium and an Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool. There are multipurpose arenas, luxury hotels, and a state-of-the-art conference centre.

The Benslimane complex is designed to rival premier European and American venues. It is envisioned as Morocco’s architectural and sporting statement to the world. This project is a showcase of ambition and capability.

Transport infrastructure is integral to the plan. The site will be directly linked to key highways serving Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, with proximity to Mohammed VInternational Airport. Future integration with Al Boraq, Morocco’s high-speed rail network, is also being developed. A massive parking facility for over 10,000 vehicles will ensure ease of access for fans and visitors.

Construction is scheduled for completion in December 2027. This leaves ample time for testing and fine-tuning. These preparations are ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Morocco will co-host the event alongside Spain and Portugal.

The Sidi Slimane stadium is expected to be one of the tournament’s flagship venues. It will complement upgrades in Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Fes, and Agadir.

The project also underlines the government’s confidence in local expertise. TGCC and SGTM have extensive experience in executing large-scale infrastructure developments. They are now tasked with delivering a stadium that will stand among the world’s elite football arenas.

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