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Flashback: Strengths and weaknesses of Nigeria’s possible World Cup playoff opponents

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

By being among the top five African countries in the last monthly ranking conducted by Fifa, the Super Eagles have avoided four of the toughest possible opponents in the play off for the Qatar 2022 holding in March next year.

The tough teams Nigeria have avoided are Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

But that is not to say that the other five teams in the playoff are easy takes. The Super Eagles will face one of the following: Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and DR Congo.

All the same, none of the five potential home-and-away opponents of Nigeria is an easy take. They are all tricky sides. Sports Village Square analyse each of them.

Egypt

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The Pharaohs of Egypt belong to the class of super powers in the continent. Their record speaks clear.

Currently ranked number 44 in the world and sixth in the continent, they are the most successful African sides in the African Cup of Nations, having won a record seven times.

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Paradoxically, their records in the World Cup belie their strength in the continent. Despite being the first African country to feature in the World Cup, they have only featured three times in 21 editions.

They seem to be afflicted when it comes to the World Cup. They have never made a back-to-back appearance at the World Cup.They  hold the record for the longest gap between two appearances and the oldest player to have ever played at the World Cup.  

After their first appearance in 1934, they have to wait for 56 years before another appearance at Italia ’90.

From Italia ’90, it took another 28 years before they qualified for Russia 2018. Will another ten of years elapsed before another World Cup qualification?

Poor historical background may be their sole disadvantage. But the strength of the team with which Nigeria will open their Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with is immense.

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Nigerian teams have traditionally been poor travellers to Egypt and have never defeated the country in their territory.

Now under Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz who led Portugal to defeat Nigeria at the Under 20 World Cup in 1989, Egypt boast of key players like  Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Ahmed Hegazi and Mohamed El Shennawi.

If drawn against Egypt, the Super Eagles will do well to make the result a manageable one in the first leg with the hope of finishing up in Nigeria.

Nigeria-Egypt Head-to-Head

P        W        D        L        F        A

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Egypt    20       7         7          6       33       27

Nigeria  20       6         7          7        27       33

  • 13 Dec. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 2-6 Egypt
  • 1 Jan. 1960 (OQ.) Egypt 3-0 Nigeria
  • 29 Nov. 1960 (F) Nigeria 1-2 Egypt
  • 24 Nov. 1963 (ACN) Egypt 6-3 Nigeria
  • 14 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 4-2 Egypt
  • 14 Mar. 1976 (ACN) Nigeria 3-2 Egypt
  • 8 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0    Egypt
  • 21 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Egypt 3-1   Nigeria
  • 15 Mar. 1980 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
  • 18 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Egypt
  • 20 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
  • 14 Mar. 1984 (ACN) Egypt 2-2 Nigeria *(7 – 8 penalty shoot-out).
  • 20 Mar. 1988 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
  • 5 Mar. 1990 (ACN) Egypt 0-1   Nigeria
  • 30 Mar. 1994 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
  • 25 Nov. 2002 (F) Nigeria 1- 1   Egypt
  • 12 Jan. 2010 (ACN) Egypt 3-1   Nigeria
  • 25 Mar.  2016 (ACNq) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
  • 29 Mar. 2016 (ANCq) Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
  • 26 Mar. 2019 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
  • 11 Jan. 2022 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt

Ghana

Ghana Black Stars are one of the underperformed teams of the on-going Africa Cup of Nations and crashed out at the group stage. They have been long time rivals of the Nigerian national sides even in the colonial era. Fixtures with Ghana, although lately latent, command high tension.

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The Black Stars have been early football superpowers in Africa and were the first to win eternally, a trophy for the Africa Cup of Nations following their hattrick achieved in the 1963, 1965 and the 1978 editions. They followed up with a fourth title in 1982.

But like Egypt, they have not had good runs in the qualification for the World Cup.  

But they are perhaps the African sides with the nearest opportunity of getting into a World Cup semi-finals before their dream run in the 2010 was punctuated by poor marksmanship from the penalty spot.

Currently ranked 52 in the world seventh in Africa they boast of top players like  Andrew Ayew, Jordan Ayew and Thomas Partey.

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Nigeria have played more matches with Ghana more than with any other country. The pendulum however skewed in favour of Ghana.

Eternal rivalry will play a key factor if the Super Eagles are drawn to play Ghana in the World Cup qualifying playoff.

They are the team against which Nigeria played their first ever World Cup qualifying match on 28 August 1960. Nigeria lost the match 4-1 in Accra.

They have had to meet at the World Cup qualifying series for the 1970, 1974 and 2002 editions.

Nigeria-Ghana Head-to-Head

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P        W        D        L        F        A

Ghana   57      19        19       16       87       62

Nigeria  57      16        19       22       62       87

  • 20 Oct.1951 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 5-0 Ghana
  • 11 Oct.1953 (JalcoCup) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
  • 30 Oct.1954 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
  • 30 Oct.1955 (JalcoCup) Ghana 7-0 Nigeria
  • 27Oct.1956 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
  • 27 Oct.1957 (JalcoCup) Ghana 3 -3 Nigeria
  • 25 Oct.1958 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-2 Ghana
  • 10 Oct. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 3 -1   Ghana
  • 26 Oct. 1959 (OQ.) Ghana 4-1   Nigeria
  • 22 Nov.1959 (JalcoCup) Ghana 5 -2 Nigeria
  • 28 Aug. 1960 (WCq) Ghana 4-1    Nigeria
  • 10 Sept. 1960 (WCq) Nigeria 2 -2 Ghana
  • 9Oct.1960 (Nkrumah Cup) Nigeria 0-3 Ghana
  • 29 Oct.1960 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
  • 8 April. 1961 (ACNq) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
  • 30 Apr. 1961 (ACNq) Ghana 2-2 Nigeria
  • 17 Dec. 1961 (F) Ghana 5 -1 Nigeria
  • 10 Nov.1962 (F) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
  • 23 Feb.1963 (Nkrumah Cup) Ghana 5-0 Nigeria
  • 30 Oct.1965 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 0-4 Ghana
  • 7 Nov.1965 (Zik Cup) Ghana 3-0 Nigeria
  • 28 Jan.1967 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 2-2 Ghana
  • 12 Feb.1967 (Zik Cup) Ghana 2-0 Nigeria
  • 22 Oct.1967 (Zik Cup)  Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
  • 23 Dec1967 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 2 -2 Ghana
  • 10 May 1969 (WCq) Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
  • 18 May 1969 (WCq) Ghana 1-1 Nigeria
  • 8 Jan.1973 (2AAG.) Nigeria 4-2 Ghana
  • 10 Feb. 1973 (WCq) Nigeria 2-3 Ghana *Awarded 2- 0 to Ghana
  • 25 Feb. 1973 (WCq) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
  • 11 Aug. 1974 (Festival) Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
  • 17 Aug. 1974 (Festival) Nigeria 0-1 Ghana
  • 24 Aug1975 (Festival) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
  • 30 Aug.1975 (Festival) Ghana 3-0 Nigeria
  • 4 Sept.1977 (Ecowas) Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
  • 8 Mar. 1978 (ACN)    Ghana 1-1 Nigeria
  • 21 July 1978 (3AAG) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
  • 1 May1983 (ECA.anniv) Ghana1-0 Nigeria
  • 15 Oct. 1983 (OQ.)   Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
  • 30 Oct. 1983 (OQ.)    Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
  • 5 March 1984(ACN) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
  • 27 Jul. 1986 (F)  Ghana 2 -0 Nigeria
  • 2 Sept.1990 (ACNq)   Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
  • 13 April 1991 (ACNq) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
  • 23 Jan. 1992 (ACN)    Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
  • 9 March 1994 (F)   Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
  • 28 Aug. 1999 (F)   Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
  • 11 Mar. 2001(WCq) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
  • 29 Jul.2001 (WCq)   Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
  • 3 Feb. 2002 (ACN)   Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
  • 15 Dec. 2002 (F)   Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
  • 30 May 2003 (LG Cup) Nigeria 3-1 Ghana
  • 23 Jan. 2006 (ACN)    Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
  • 6 Feb 2007 (F)  Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
  • 3 Feb 2008 (ACN) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
  • 28 Jan. 2010 (ACN) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
  • 11 Oct. 2011 (F) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria

Cameroon

Although in head-to-head confrontations, Nigeria have edge over Cameroon, no match-up with the Indomitable Lions is ever considered an easy one. Until the 4 June 2021 defeat of the Super Eagles in a friendly match, the Nigerian side had had a three-decade of not losing any match in regulation time to Cameroon.

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One of the biggest wins over Cameroon was in the qualifying series for the 2018 World Cup when the Indomitable Lions crumbled miserably in a 4-0 defeat in Uyo.

But the team had since regained their composure and are considered one of the most dreaded sides on the continent.  

Besides, they were the first African sides to scale the group stage in the World Cup when they got to the quarter finals at Italia ‘90.

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With seven appearances at the World Cup, they ranked among the most frequent African teams at the global event.

Nigeria-Cameroon Head-to-Head

P      W     D    L    F        A

Nigeria      24      14    6     4     41      21

Cameroon 24      4      6    14   21      41

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  • 8 Dec.1962 (Nkrumah ) Nigeria3-1 Cameroon
  • 1 Jan.1963 (Nkrumah) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
  • 22 July 1966 (F) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
  • 7 Dec.1968 (WCq) Nigeria 1-1Cameroon    
  • 22Dec.1968 (WCq) Cameroon 2-3 Nigeria
  • 13 Feb.1972 (F) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria    
  • 22 Jan. 1975 (F) Nigeria 1-0   Cameroon
  • 2 Feb. 1980 (F) Nigeria 0 -0 Cameroon
  • 18 Mar.1984 (ACN) Cameroon3-1 Nigeria
  • 17 Mar. 1988(ACN) Cameroon 1-1Nigeria
  • 27 Mar.1988 (ACN) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
  • 10 June1989 (WCq) Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
  • 27 Aug.1989 (WCq) Cameroon 1-0Nigeria
  • 25 Jan.1992 (ACN) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
  • 7 Aug.1997 (LGCup) Cameroon 0-1Nigeria
  • Feb.2000 (ACN) Nigeria 2-2 Cameroon *(3-4 penalty-shootout).
  • 1June2003 (LGCup)Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon *aet
  • Feb.2004 (ACN) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
  • 11 Oct. 2015 (F) Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon
  • 1 Sept. 2017 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon
  • 4 Sept. 2017 (WCq) Cameroon 1-1 Nigeria
  • 6 July 2019 (CAN) Nigeria 3-2 Cameroon
  • 4 June 2021 (F) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
  • 8 June 2021(F) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria

Mali

Of the 10 group leaders now in the playoff for the World Cup qualification, Mali are the only sides without any previous appearance at the World Cup.

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They are however one of the tricky teams in West Africa that can not be easily waved aside.

Despite being in the same subcontinent region with Nigeria, fixtures with Mali are rare. But Sports Village Square recalls that the Lagos National Stadium was opened with a 3-0 defeat of Mali on 4 December 1972.

Nigeria and Mali have met only nine times. The Malians were the Super Eagles’ stepping stone into the final match of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which the team won.

They were previously coached by Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi. Mali are number 54 in the world and ninth in Africa by the current Fifa ranking. Their star players include: Kalifa Coulibaly, Moussa Djenepo and Amadou Haidara.

Nigeria-Mali Head-to-Head

P        W        D        L        F        A

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Nigeria   9         5         3         1     14          5

Mali        9         1         3         5     5           14

  • 22 Nov. 1972 (F)  Mali 2 -1 Nigeria
  • 4 Dec. 1972 (F)    Nigeria 3-0 Mali
  • 14 Jul. 1978 (3AAG) Mali 1-3 Nigeria   
  • 18 Dec. 1983 (WAFU) Nigeria 0 -0 Mali * (4-5 penalty shoot-out).
  • 24 Jan. 2002 (ACN)     Mali 0 -0 Nigeria
  • 9 Feb. 2002 (ACN)     Mali 0-1 Nigeria
  • 3 Feb. 2004 (ACN)      Mali 1-2 Nigeria  
  • 25 Jan. 2008 (ACN)      Mali 0-0 Nigeria
  • 6 Feb. 2013 (ACN)      Mali 1-4 Nigeria

DR Congo

Of the 10 group leaders now in the playoff for the World Cup qualification, DR Congo are the only sides outside the top 10 in the continent where they place 12th behind Burkina Faso and South Africa.

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No nation in the continent has changed names more than DR Congo that had previously been called Congo Kinshasa, later Zaire and since 1996, DR Congo.

In the past, Congo DR have been ranked as high as 28 in the FIFA rankings. When they qualified for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, they became the first Sub-Saharan African team to feature at global event.

Sports Village Square however recalls that they are the African sides with the most scandalous result when they crumbled 9-0 to the then Yugoslavia.

Should the Super Eagles be drawn against them, it will be a tricky match-up. Nigeria won their first Africa Cup of Nations match beating the then Zaire 4-2 in a Group match at Ethiopia 1976.

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Fixtures of Nigeria and DR Congo is rare. They have met just nine times. But results have always been in favour of Nigeria. The Congolese however broke the apparent myth surrounding Nigeria’s matches on 8 October when they beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in Belgium in 2016.

Before then, Nigeria never lost a game on a 8 October date which is also the anniversary of Nigeria’s  first international match and also, the first  time the country qualified for the World Cup (8 October 1993).

Nigeria DR Congo Head-to-Head

P        W        D        L        F        A

Nigeria        9         5         1         3        16       14

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DR Congo   9         3         1         5         14       16

  • 5 Nov.1966 (F) Nigeria 3-2 DR Congo
  • 27 Nov. 1966 (F) DR Congo 1-0 Nigeria
  • 13 Dec. 1969 (F) DR Congo   5-0 Nigeria
  • 1Mar.1976 (ACN) DR Congo 2-4 Nigeria
  • 19 Jan1992 (ACN) DR Congo 0 -1 Nigeria
  • 2 April1994 (ACN) DR Congo 0-2 Nigeria
  • 3 Mar. 2010 (F) Nigeria 5-2 DR Congo
  • 8 Oct. 2015 (F) DR Congo 2-0 Nigeria
  • 28 May 2018 (F) Nigeria 1-1 DR Congo

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Governing Bodies

Trump May Be Barred From World Cup and LA 28 Olympics

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Pool, File_

The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.

The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.

The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.

The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorised to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.

The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.

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“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.

“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”

In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was “entirely misleading,” focusing on Fitzgerald’s statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were “introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered.”

Fitzgerald’s only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn’t be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: “I’m trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don’t see how it could come into play for this year’s World Cup.”

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-AP

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Governing Bodies

CAF Dismisses Head of Judicial Bodies

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CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba

The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.

According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.

Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.

In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.

Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.

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Disciplinary Decisions Delayed

The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.

However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.

Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.

Restoring Confidence

The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.

Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.

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Governing Bodies

Countdown Rule Introduced To Crack Down on Time-Wasting in Substitutions and Spot Kicks

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FIFA and IFAB after the meeting that brings out landmark changes to reduce tempo disruption

Global football’s law-making body, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), has approved a landmark package of reforms aimed at protecting effective playing time, reducing time-wasting and strengthening disciplinary oversight ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The decisions were taken at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by Mike Jones, President of the Football Association of Wales, during celebrations marking the FAW’s 150th anniversary.

The reforms, which will apply from the 2026/27 season and be implemented at the 2026 World Cup and other competitions, respond to growing calls across the football community for measures that preserve match tempo and reduce deliberate disruption.

Five-Second Countdown for Throw-Ins and Goal Kicks

Building on last season’s amendment preventing goalkeepers from holding the ball for excessive periods, IFAB has extended the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks.

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If a referee judges that a restart is being deliberately delayed, a visible five-second countdown will begin. Failure to put the ball back into play within that period will result in possession being awarded to the opposing team. In the case of a delayed goal kick, the sanction escalates to a corner kick for the opposition.

The measure is designed to eliminate a common time-management tactic frequently deployed late in matches.

Strict Timelines for Substitutions

To further streamline match flow, substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed or the referee’s signal being given.

Players who exceed that limit must still exit immediately, but their replacement will not be allowed to enter until the next stoppage after one minute of running clock time has elapsed — effectively discouraging slow exits intended to run down the clock.

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Mandatory One-Minute Absence After On-Field Treatment

Under another significant change, players who receive on-field medical assessment — or whose injury prompts a stoppage — must leave the pitch and remain off for at least one minute once play resumes.

The rule aims to curb tactical injury interruptions while still safeguarding genuine medical needs.

IFAB also approved further trials to assess goalkeeper-related tactical injury delays and explore deterrent options.

VAR Protocol Expanded to Include Second Yellow Cards

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In a notable development for officiating, IFAB expanded the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol.

The VAR will now be permitted to review:

  • Red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card;
  • Mistaken identity cases where the wrong player is cautioned or sent off;
  • Clearly incorrectly awarded corner kicks, provided the review can be completed immediately without delaying the restart.

The move addresses longstanding criticism that second cautions — unlike straight red cards — were previously outside VAR review scope, despite their decisive impact on matches.

IFAB also confirmed continued trials of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and ongoing development of FIFA-led Football Video Support (FVS).

Amendments to the Laws of the Game 2026/27

The next edition of the Laws of the Game, effective 1 July 2026 (with early adoption permitted), will introduce further clarifications and adjustments:

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  • Law 3: Senior ‘A’ international friendlies may now allow up to eight substitutes, expandable to eleven by mutual agreement.
  • Law 4: Non-dangerous equipment will be permitted if safely covered.
  • Law 5: Referee body cameras (head- or chest-mounted) may be used at competition discretion, with organisers controlling footage.
  • Law 8: Clarifies that a dropped ball will be awarded to the team that would likely have retained possession.
  • Laws 10 & 14: Formal incorporation of guidance on accidental “double touch” penalty incidents.
  • Law 12: Where advantage is played for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored, the offender will not be cautioned.

Focus on Discriminatory Behaviour and Player Protests

Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, IFAB agreed that further consultation will be undertaken to develop tougher measures against discriminatory conduct.

The board will also examine scenarios where:

  • Players leave the field collectively in protest of refereeing decisions;
  • Players cover their mouths while confronting opponents — a practice viewed as undermining transparency.

A Forward-Looking Agenda

The AGM, attended by representatives from FIFA, The FA, the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales, the Irish FA and IFAB administration, signals what officials described as a decisive effort to modernise the sport.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, IFAB’s reforms represent one of the most comprehensive tempo-focused overhauls in recent years — an attempt to ensure that football remains faster, fairer and more resistant to manipulation of time.

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