Nigeria’s Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, losing to DR Congo 4-3 on penalties in the African World Cup playoffs final. The match concluded 1-1 after extra time, but it was Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle’s extraordinary accusations that have dominated post-match discussions.
Chelle, who is Franco-Malian, alleged that DR Congo engaged in voodoo rituals during the penalty shootout, which he claims contributed to Nigeria’s misfortune. “During all the penalty sessions, DR Congo did some voodoo. Every time. Every time. That was why I was a bit nervous,” Chelle told reporters.
The coach asserted he saw someone on the DR Congo bench using “something water” to cast spells on the Nigerian players. These comments followed missed penalties by Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi, while Chancel Mbemba scored the decisive kick to advance DR Congo into the intercontinental playoffs.
Tensions escalated after the final penalty, with Chelle confronting the DR Congo bench, leading officials to intervene to prevent a physical altercation.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify marks a historic low for the Super Eagles, who also missed the 2022 World Cup. This is the first time the nation has missed two consecutive World Cups since their debut in 1994.
