Congo return to world football after FIFA suspension lifted

Photo Credit: FECOFOOT

FIFA has lifted the suspension imposed on the Congo Brazzaville Football Federation (FECOFOOT) due to government interference. The world football governing body decided to lift the suspension after the FECOFOOT executive committee was reinstated on Tuesday, May 13.

FECOFOOT had been suspended from world football due to third-party interference in the affairs of the country’s football association. As a result, Congo missed their March 2026 FIFA World Cup Africa qualifier matches against Tanzania and Zambia. They were also disqualified from the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

In an official statement, FIFA said that FECOFOOT has met all the conditions required for the suspension to be lifted:

"The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided on 14 May 2025 to lift the suspension that was imposed on the Congolese Football Association (FECOFOOT) on 6 February 2025. The decision was taken after the conditions requested by the Bureau to lift the suspension of FECOFOOT had been met, including the return of full control of the FECOFOOT headquarters, the Ignié Technical Centre, and the association’s other facilities to the FECOFOOT Executive Committee led by Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas and his administration."

Blaise Mayolas and his team regained access to the FECOFOOT headquarters earlier this week, after being denied use of the facility for the past eight months. According to ADIC Congo, a spokesperson for the executive committee, Victor Magloire Nganguia, expressed his gratitude to the government of Congo.

Congo is now fully reinstated in world football.