Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has claimed that a member of DR Congo’s backroom team engaged in what he described as "voodoo" during the tense penalty shootout that ended the Super Eagles’ bid for a place at the 2026 World Cup.
Chelle made the claim in a video posted by ESPN Africa on X on Monday, where he spoke to journalists following Nigeria’s 4–3 defeat on spot-kicks in Rabat. The match had finished 1–1 after 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
The coach, visibly frustrated, alleged that repeated gestures from someone in DR Congo’s technical area unsettled him during the VAR review of a penalty incident.
"During all the penalty decision, a guy of Congo did some voodoo… Every time, every time, every time. So this is why I was a little nervous after him," he said.
When pressed to clarify, Chelle mimicked the movements, adding: "Something like that. I don’t know if it’s water or something like that."
The claims, however, could not be independently verified. The term "voodoo" is often used loosely in football circles to describe ritual actions or superstitions attributed to opponents, though such allegations rarely come with evidence.
Nigeria had seized an early advantage when Frank Onyeka struck in the third minute, but Meschack Elia levelled for DR Congo half an hour later. Both teams pushed for a winner in extra time, yet neither broke the deadlock.
The shootout swung dramatically. Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed Nigeria’s early efforts, while Stanley Nwabali denied DR Congo’s first kick to keep hope alive.
Akor Adams converted under pressure, but DR Congo held firm and scored their fourth penalty to clinch a 4–3 victory.
The defeat means Nigeria will miss the World Cup for the second successive tournament, while DR Congo progress to the intercontinental playoff for a chance to reach the expanded 48-team finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nigeria had reached Sunday’s final after a stirring 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon, while DR Congo edged Cameroon 1–0 in their semi-final.
The Leopards now await their next opponents as their qualification push continues, leaving the Super Eagles to rue another World Cup campaign cut short.
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