Eric Chelle, Super Eagles’ head coach
By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
The Super Eagles’ shocking loss in the World Cup play-off final has taken a dramatic turn after head coach Eric Chelle blamed the defeat on the use of *voodoo* by the Congolese team. The Malian tactician’s claim has stirred a heated backlash, with football fans, analysts, and former players calling it a “lame excuse” that distracts from the real issues plaguing Nigerian football.
Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel led the criticism, responding to Chelle’s comments on his podcast. “If voodoo works in football, do you know how many World Cups Africa would have had?” Mikel said. “What a ridiculous excuse. I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw the comment.”
Instead, Mikel blamed poor preparation, disorganisation, and player unrest. According to him, the team’s decision to protest unpaid bonuses and allowances during their World Cup preparation was the real reason behind their underperformance. “The Super Eagles lost because they chose the wrong time to fight for their bonuses and allowances. That’s not when you do that,” he explained.
The former Chelsea midfielder didn’t spare the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) either. He accused them of failing to create a stable environment for the team, stating, “This will continue to happen because we have the wrong people in charge of our football. Even if you resolve the money issues before the match, the damage is already done to the players’ mentality.”
It’s worth recalling that the Super Eagles had boycotted training in Morocco in protest of long-standing unpaid bonuses and allowances, some dating back years. The disruption came just before their decisive clash against Gabon and their next qualifier against Congo, severely affecting preparations.
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