Nigeria’s head coach, Éric Chelle, has attributed the Super Eagles’ elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to alleged ritualistic practices by a member of the DR Congo technical staff during the decisive penalty shootout. The match, held in Rabat, Morocco, ended 1-1 after extra time, with DR Congo prevailing 4-3 in the shootout to advance to the inter-confederation playoffs.
Chelle claimed that a DR Congo official engaged in “voodoo” rituals during the shootout, stating, “During all the penalty sessions, the guy from Congo did some voodoo. Every time. Every time. That was why I was a bit nervous”. He further alleged that the official used “something water” each time a Nigerian player stepped up to take a penalty.
The Super Eagles missed three penalties, with Calvin Bassey, Moses Simon, and Semi Ajayi failing to convert their spot-kicks. DR Congo’s captain, Chancel Mbemba, scored the decisive penalty, sealing their progression to the next stage.
This defeat marks Nigeria’s second consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup since their debut in 1994. matches.
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